<div><span style="font-size: 1rem;"><b>Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday said Bangladesh will never look back again, rather it will continue marching to be a smart, developed and prosperous country.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>"InshaAllah, Bangladesh will never look back again. The country is marching forward and it will continue," she said while addressing Bangladesh Ansar and VDP's 43rd National Assembly-2023 as the chief guest at the Ansar and VDP academy in Shafipur, Gazipur.</div><div><br></div><div>Referring to her government's initiative for developing the country's information technology sector, the premier said, "This Bangladesh will be a smart Bangladesh."</div><div><br></div><div>Mentioning that the country was liberated in exchange for huge blood in the War of Liberation, Sheikh Hasina said today Bangladesh got the recognition of a developing country.</div><div><br></div><div>&nbsp;"But, we want to advance more. We want to build Bangladesh as a developed and prosperous country along with its socioeconomic development," she said.</div><div><br></div><div>She also said people of the country will stand on their own feet and they must not have to extend hands for begging to anyone.</div><div><br></div><div>Sheikh Hasina said that the Covid-19 pandemic created a huge pressure on the economy in the international arena, while Ukraine-Russia conflict caused economic recession around the globe.</div><div><br></div><div>"We have to keep us free from this. That's why, I urged all to follow the footsteps of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman not to leave single inch of arable land uncultivated," she said.</div><div><br></div><div>She also asked all to ensure every left-out arable land to be brought under cultivation process.</div><div><br></div><div>"For that Ansar and VDP can play special role. You can train the rural people and engage them in various cultivation activities to produce crops and preserve those," she said, adding, "I hope that you (Ansar and VDP) will contribute".</div><div><br></div><div>Earlier, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan, Public Security Division Senior Secretary Md Aminul Islam Khan and Director General of Bangladesh Ansar and VDP Major General AKM Aminul Haque welcomed the prime minister on her arrival at the venue.</div><div><br></div><div>The prime minister handed over different medals in eight categories to 180 Ansar and VDP members for their outstanding contribution to their respective fields.</div><div><br></div><div>She also inspected different contingents of Bangladesh Ansar and VDP riding on an open car.</div><div><br></div><div>She, as well, witnessed a spectacular parade of smartly-turned out contingents of Bangladesh Ansar and VDP.</div><div><br></div><div>Later, she witnessed choreography and cultural programme. According to AFP reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>