Daily Bangla Times: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said people voted the Awami League to power in 2014 and 2018 national  elections as the government worked for the development of the people.

The premier was addressing a programme at the capital's Ramna Batamul marking the opening of 11 projects under the housing and public works ministry. She joined the event from the Gono Bhaban through a virtual platform.

The projects were implemented by the Public Works Department, Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) and National Housing Authority in the 2021-2022 fiscal year.

Hasina said her government took Bangladesh forward as per its plans and the country attained the status of a developing country in 2021. "It has been possible only because democracy continues and elected public representatives have been in power since 2009."

"I hope that you all notice the change in Bangladesh in the last 14 years [2009-2023] and it has only been possible as the Awami League is in power."

Hasina said her government has already developed the country as "Digital Bangladesh" and now its target is to transform it into a "Smart Bangladesh" by 2041 where everything, including governance, economy, education and health sectors, would be smart. "Inshallah, we'll be able to do so."

Noting that international organisations predicted that the global economic downturn might worsen this year, the PM said the government has focused on raising food production, and that it already asked all not to leave a single inch of land uncultivated to protect the country from the blow of the economic recession.

She also asked all to practice austerity in using electricity, water and other resources during the global crisis induced by the Covid-19 pandemic, Russia-Ukraine war and economic sanctions and counter-sanctions.

The projects opened yesterday include six of the Public Works Department, three of the National Housing Authority and two of Rajuk.

The six projects of Public Works Department are 20-storey Judges' Quarters (90 flats) at Azimpur in the capital; nine 10-storey housing buildings (324 flats) for government officials and employees at Mirpur-6; renovation of Bangladesh Supreme Court Bar Library Bhaban, Annex Bhaban and auditorium; infrastructural development and overall beautification of Ramna Park; and 13-storey housing buildings (288 flats) for government officials and employees; and nine 10-storey housing buildings (324 flats) for government officials and employees in Noakhali Sadar upazila.

Three projects of the National Housing Authority are 1,040 residential flats (Swapnanagar-1) for middle-income people at Mirpur-9; 14-storey housing building (100 flats) at Mirpur-15; and site and services residential plots in Sunamganj.

Two Rajuk projects are Purbachal water supply project phase-I, Progati High School Bhaban, and Palkhan High School and Purbachal Adarsha College Bhaban in Purbachal new city project.

Mosharraf Hossain, chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on housing and public works ministry, and Shorif Ahmed, state minister for housing and public works, spoke at the event.