Staff Reporter: President Abdul Hamid has said that the Jatiya Sangsad is the focal-point of people’s hopes and aspirations. He urged people of all political parties, classes and professions to take concerted efforts to build consensus on practicing democracy, good governance and socio-economic development.”

He called upon all irrespective of religion, caste and tribe to forget the differences of party-opinion to repay the debt of millions of martyrs by establishing an exploitation-free society.

The President said that an all out effort is required to eradicate corruption, drugs, terrorism and militancy while delivering his speech at the inaugural sitting of the maiden session of 2021 of 11th Parliament.

Abdul Hamid read out the abridged speech in order to save time. According to the parliamentary practice, the President addresses the first session of the new year.

In his speech the President highlightes various development activities and progress of the government .including economy, trade-investment, food-agriculture, environment-climate, education, health.

He said that the ruling party as well as the opposition have to play a constructive role in ensuring transparency, accountability, tolerance, consolidation of human rights and rule of law and progress of the nation. "I call upon the ruling party and the opposition to play their due role in the great National Assembly."

The President said the government has made unprecedented progress in ensuring universal healthcare. The biggest achievement of the government is the successful control of corona virus.. Two thousand doctors and five thousand 54 nurses have been recruited on an emergency basis to deal with the Corona situation. The Corona Dedicated Hospitals are equiped with 10,525 general beds, 666 ICUs and 73 dialysis beds, 554 ventilators, 13,516 oxygen cylinders, 678 high-flow nasal canola and 639 oxygen concentrators.

Expressing hope that the government would be able to provide corona vaccine soon, President Abdul Hamid said that the process of direct purchase of 30 million doses of vaccine has been finalized with Beximco Pharmaceuticals Limited and Serum Institute of Life Sciences Pvt Ltd of India. "I hope that the government will be able to vaccinate the people of the country very soon."

He further said that this continuous achievement of Bangladesh's growth has been praised worldwide. Due to the corona epidemic, the GDP growth of Bangladesh in the fiscal year 2019-2020 has decreased to five point two-four percent. However, at the same time, the per capita national income has increased by 8.1 percent to 2,084 US dollars. Besides maintaining GDP growth, it has been possible to keep inflation at a tolerable level. According to the IMF report, Bangladesh ranks third among the top countries with the highest GDP growth in 2020.

At the very outset of his speech, the President paid tribute to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman by saying "Bangabandhu and Bangladesh are inseparable entities. He , also mentioned all valiant freedom fighters and millions other patriots who sacrificed their lives for the sake of independence of the country. To build the ‘Sonar Bangla’ of Bangabandhu’s dream, President Hamid added that the government has adopted a multi-dimensional action plan entitled ‘Vision-2041’.

The President " We are on the door step of the golden jubilee of independence. We have to move forward on the path of peace, democracy, development and prosperity. This year, as a middle-income country, we will celebrate the ‘Golden Jubilee of Independence." He lauded the leadership of sheikh Hasina and said that under her leadership Bangladesh will emerge as a welfare, developed and prosperous Bangladesh. He expected the full participation of mass people in the development works.

Due to COVID-19 this session will be held in a limited scale maintaining the health protocols. Leader of the House and parliamentarians of both treasury and opposition benches were present in the session.

Speaker of 11th paliament Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury chaired the sitting.