<div style="text-align: justify; "><b style="font-size: 1rem;">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday said that political leadership and decision- and not military rule - is the most important matter for a country to prosper.</b><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“Whenever our country was outside this political decision, which means under direct or indirect military rule, it did not register its development and prosperity. The people of the country have to realise this,” she said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The premier said this while delivering her introductory speech at the 8th meeting of the National Training Council held at her official residence Ganabhaban.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">She said that development in every sector was ensured while the political leadership came to power.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“At least I can claim that from 2009 to 2023 the unprecedented development of the country was done by the political decision,” she said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Hasina said that her government has adopted the ideology and ideals of Independence and followed it in running the administration.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“We are getting the results. Because of this policy we have attained the status of developing country,” she said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">She urged all to sustain this momentum of development and democracy for the benefits of the generations to come.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“We have to keep our eyes particularly on this matter,” she said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The PM put utmost importance on training as she said it is urgently needed to develop one nation.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“The world is changing and now an era of technology is underway. We have to advance further in compliance with the era of technology,” she said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">She mentioned that it should be ensured that the country’s manpower get proper training for appropriate advancement in the coming days.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In the ever evolving world we need to keep the pace with the rest of the world. We need that capable manpower also,” she said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In this regard, she said that from 2009 to April 2023 the foreign training section of the Public Administration Ministry sent some 6185 public servants for short-term training abroad while 606 got long term training.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">She mentioned that Coronavirus pandemic and the Ukraine-Russia war caused setback for the whole world.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“We have been able to continue our development pace despite the problems. I know that there will be obstacles and adverse situation time and again,” she stated.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">She regretted that there is one section of people in the country who did not participate in the Liberation War and don’t believe in independence.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“They always hold a negative attitude about the country, and we have to move further overcoming these hurdles. Obstacles will come, but we have to find our way to move forward.”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Stressing the need for training of manpower she asked the NTC to prepare a curriculum which will supplement government’s initiative to make Smart Bangladesh.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“We want to advance step by step keeping no one behind,” she asserted.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">She said that her government’s aim is to reduce further the number of ultra-poor which now account for five per cent of the country’s population. UNB</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>