Villagers should live well: Prime Minister in Sylhet

The Basia Canal in Kandigaon Union of Sylhet Sadar was originally excavated in 1977 by the then President Ziaur Rahman. This time, his son, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, has come to re-excavate it. After inaugurating the program, he expressed his wishes for the well-being of the villagers.
The Prime Minister said, “Our goal is for the people of the villages to live well… the only aim of this government is to safeguard the interests of the country’s people and solve their problems.”
He made these remarks at a brief public gathering following the inauguration ceremony, where he also remembered his late father.
“In 1977, martyred President Ziaur Rahman excavated this Basia Canal. The canal is now silted up… once this re-excavation project is completed, around 80,000 farmers will benefit directly and another 150,000 farmers indirectly. At the same time, an additional 7,000 tons of crops will be produced in this area.”
He noted that the majority of Bangladesh’s population lives in rural areas, adding, “Making rural people self-reliant is the main goal of our government.”
“The promises made by the BNP before the election are now being implemented. We said we would begin canal excavation projects across the country, and we have started. Work is already underway in about 60 districts. Today, we inaugurated the re-excavation of this Basia Canal. After completion, we will plant 50,000 trees along both banks. Local people will be able to enjoy nature there, and we will plant fruit-bearing trees as well,” Tarique Rahman added.
He also mentioned other election pledges of the BNP.
“Before the election, we promised to introduce family cards, and we have begun doing so. We have also started issuing agricultural cards to farmers. Through these cards, they will receive fertilizer, pesticides, and seeds, as well as access to agricultural loans. In line with our commitments, we have already waived agricultural loans of up to 10,000 taka for 1.2 million farmers.”
Pointing to Industries and Commerce Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir, who was present on stage, the Prime Minister said, “Your son Muktadir is the Industries Minister. I have asked him to resolve the problems of closed factories and restart them. We have also spoken with businesspeople about establishing new industries. We are placing strong emphasis on the industrial sector, which will reduce unemployment.”
The event was chaired by Abdul Qayyum Chowdhury, President of Sylhet District BNP and Administrator of Sylhet City Corporation. Special guests included Commerce and Industries Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir, Member of Parliament for Sylhet-2 Tahsina Rushdir Luna, MP for Sylhet-3 Abdul Malik, MP for Sylhet-6 Emran Ahmed Chowdhury, and reserved seat MP Shammi Akhtar.
Also present were acting President of Sylhet Metropolitan BNP Rezaul Hasan Qayes Lodi, along with district and metropolitan BNP leaders and activists.