<div style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;"><b>Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday underlined the need for diversifying the education system for transforming the country into Smart Bangladesh by 2041.</b></span><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“We need smart skilled manpower, smart economy, smart government and smart society. We want to build Bangladesh this way. The utmost need is to diversify the education system,” she said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The prime minister was addressing the national council of principals of the colleges affiliated under the National University and the scholarship distributing ceremony-2023 at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Hasina said that her government wants to build the young generation as the skilled manpower.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">She pointed out that the government has established 39 hi-tech parks. It is providing trainings in the computer and incubation centres, education in nano technology and artificial intelligence.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">”We are doing this so the young generation can gain Knowledge on science and technology. They can advance further and their future generations could do the same,” she said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">She said that the government wants to take Bangladesh towards development and prosperity. That will be the Smart Bangladesh.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">She requested the teachers to give lessons with more sincerity so that the students could acquire the required skills for turning the country into a smart one.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“I hope that today’s young generation will be the leaders of future Bangladesh,” she said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The PM said that her government is taking the country ahead defying various types of man-made and natural calamities.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“Since 2009 there has been a stable government in the country with continued democratic process,” said the prime minister highlighting various manmade and natural ral calamities it faced on the way.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“We are advancing the country overcoming those calamities,” she said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">PM Hasina also requested the students to be more attentive to their studies to acquire knowledge on modern science and technology to boost skills and be ready to be part of the fourth industrial revolution.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“You also have to love your country and its people. You have to have dutifulness towards the people of the country. Not indulge in yourselves only. The more people of the country developed, the more you will be developed,” she said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">She hoped that students will prepare themselves as the driving force in building a poverty-and-hunger-free smart golden Bangladesh by 2041.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Sheikh Hasina briefly described her government's measures to ensure overall development of the country’s education.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“The government has taken every possible step to make the generation after generation worthy of coping with the ever-changing world in the age of science and technology. We don't want to lag behind. We have to keep up with the pace of global education as our children are meritorious," she said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">She mentioned that the government has established universities in every district, four medical universities in four divisional headquarters, an Islamic Arabic University, digital university, aerospace and aviation university and medical colleges alongside setting up science and technology universities.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Hasina asked the principals and teachers to groom the student as worthy citizens of independent Bangladesh.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Give the youth education in such a way they can build themselves as worthy citizens of an independent Bangladesh," she said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The prime minister handed over scholarship among 10 insolvent but meritorious and special need students.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A total of 12394 students---11,285 insolvent meritorious and 1109 special need students---have got scholarship worth about Taka 6, 19,70,000.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">At the same function, the PM also announced unveiling some development projects including ICT master plan under the National University and put a signature on the list of the development schemes.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Education Minister Dipu Moni spoke as the special guest.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Vice-Chancellor of the National University Prof Dr Mashiur Rahman presided over the programme.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Abu Salek Mohammad Sourov from Selim Sonar Bangla College of Cumilla and Jubaida Ayesha Siddiqa of Rajshahi Government Women College spoke on behalf of the principals at the function.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A video documentary on the activities of the National University was also screened there. UNB</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bndb24/kh</div>