Hiren Pandit

After successfully implementing the promise of building Digital Bangladesh, Bangladesh is moving forward with a new program. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is working relentlessly to implement SDGs by 2030 and build a Smart Bangladesh by 2041. Today's students will one day face the challenges of the fourth industrial revolution and build a smart Bangladesh.

A cost-effective, sustainable, intelligent, knowledge-based, innovative Smart Bangladesh will be built on the four main foundations of Smart Citizen, Smart Economy, Smart Government, and Smart Society.

As per the information of the Election Commission, the number of new voters in this year's national elections has increased to 1 crore 54 lakh 52 thousand 956 people. Those who voted for the first time in the national elections chose the legislators of the country for the next five years. Bangladesh Awami League announced the manifesto ahead of the 12th national parliament election.

The slogan of this year's manifesto is 'Smart Bangladesh: Where Development Shines Accelerating Employment'. Awami League has prioritized 11 issues by promising to build a smart Bangladesh. Creation of employment, keeping the price of goods within the purchasing power, establishing consistency between incomes, keeping the youth and youth society involved in the transformation and development of the country, taking measures against capital smugglers, eliminating bribery and corruption, bringing debt-tax-evasion and confiscating the illegal assets of the corrupt.

The government is creating various job opportunities for the youth. Also taking essential steps to ensure specific jobs. Everyone should come forward for employment and self-employment. It is now imperative for us to do this. Transforming unemployed youth into manpower through skill development training and creating employment opportunities.

Bangabandhu has implemented various steps to establish Bangladesh as Sonar Bangla by providing youth training in various professions and employment. Following the footsteps of the father of the nation, the Awami League government is working tirelessly to make Bangladesh a developed country by 2041. The guidelines for our development are to become a middle-income country, to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, and to build a developed, prosperous, and bright Bangladesh by 2041.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina participated in the 'Let's Talk' program with the youth, which was organized by CRI during the elections. The Prime Minister answered various questions of the youth. Prime Minister's speech on giving a pivotal role to youth and youth in building Smart Bangladesh. Keeping in mind the theme of Smart Bangladesh among the 11 issues that have been given special priority in the election manifesto of Bangladesh Awami League, the second number has been said to be employable education and employment of the youth. It is a joy for a youngster. As young people, they talk with other young people about the various aspects of the country. Everyone's opinions, desires, needs, and dreams about Bangladesh are slowly being realized. Everyone supports this overwhelming progress in Bangladesh.

How was Bangladesh before, and how is it now? To those born now, it is natural that the words of the past may seem like stories in this modern society. Today's Bangladesh is a role model for world development. Bangladesh is now a wonderful country. Bangladesh is keeping pace with the world's developed countries in terms of progress in development. People's living standards are improving. In all indicators, the country is moving forward as an indomitable Bangladesh. Now, people's basic needs are fulfilled. The education rate is increasing. The country is coming under a hundred percent electricity. Not only in the country's history but also in South Asia's history, the best mega projects have been implemented in Bangladesh, and many projects are being implemented.

To build a smart Bangladesh, the government prioritizes developing the young society as highly skilled manpower in education, knowledge, and technology and a savvy population, competent government, innovative economy, intelligent society, and digital devices. Due to the availability of the internet and smartphones, all government services are available quickly and at home. What used to take a lot of money, labor and time can now be done at home with a single click. The energy of youth is acting as the primary representation of innovative and modern Bangladesh. The cooperation of the youth in building a Smart Bangladesh hopes for the continuation of the current government. The Youths will act as the vanguard in implementing the grand plan given by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to achieve the status of a high-income country in 2041.

The glorious event or chapter in the history of the thousand years of the Bengali nation is the liberation war of 1971. The fresh blood of 3 million martyrs and the unlimited sacrifices of millions of mothers and sisters earned our freedom through 9 months of war in 1971. After 23 years of agitation and nine months of armed war, the victory was won by defeating the Pakistani invaders on 16 December. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the most incredible son of Bengali for a thousand years, the greatest Bengali of all time, and the great hero of history made the dream of Bengal a reality.

Youth is a life force, and Bangladesh's dream is full of endless possibilities and colorful dreams. The thoughts of the youth will be the thoughts of Bangladesh, the thoughts of opening up new horizons about Bangladesh, and the radical thoughts of the youth will be about Bangladesh. The work of the youth will be the work of Bangladesh. All dreams should be about Bangladesh.

The youth have a glorious role in all the democratic struggles and liberation wars of Bangladesh. Demographic changes in 2041 will see nearly half of the population under 30 years of age; The number of youth in the age group of 15-29 years will be more or less two crore. We need to keep these young people involved in the transformation and development of Bangladesh. Employment opportunities will be expanded for able-bodied, qualified youth. Training will be given to 3.1 lakh youth in the district and upazila and the program will continue supporting their self-employment. Steps have been taken to create employment for an additional 1.5 million people by 2030.

Highlighting the statistics of unemployed youth, Sheikh Hasina said that the rate of unemployed youth will be reduced from 10.6 percent to 3.0 percent by 2028. Adequate technical training is being provided to illiterate and low-educated youth and youth. The micro-credit facility will continue on easy terms for trained self-employed entrepreneurs, and the loan amount will increase. The National Service Program will be gradually expanded to all upazilas of the country to create employment for the youth.

For the intellectual development of the youth, libraries will be established in each upazila, democratic, cultural, and physical training centers, and 'Smart Youth Hubs' will be developed. Through the Youth Development Department's revolving loan fund, entrepreneurs will be assisted by setting up special cells to provide loans on easy terms and low interest from various commercial banks, specialized banks, and financial institutions. Schemes will be undertaken to bring underprivileged, disabled, and physically challenged youths under educational and medical assistance.

The work of developing the Sheikh Hasina National Youth Development Institute as a center for excellence will continue through the development of infrastructure and the recruitment of adequate manpower. Loans on soft terms, necessary subsidies, technical advice, and policy support will be provided for setting up commercial dairy and poultry farms to generate employment.

At the village level, agricultural machinery service centers and workshops will be set up to expand rural mechanization services, including machinery repair, and through these, productive employment programs will be expanded by training rural youth and agricultural entrepreneurs. In addition, investment assistance in loans and materials to private sector marginal and small entrepreneurs to manufacture and market light machinery will continue.

To create employment for the youth, the National Service Program will be gradually expanded to all upazilas of the country. To strengthen the training program at the grassroots level, the 'Youth Training and Employment Center' will be established in every upazila. To ensure the overall welfare of the youth, programs have been launched in all the districts and upazilas of the country to motivate the youth, provide training, and promote self-reliance through post-training self-employment projects, youth loans, poverty alleviation, etc.

Therefore, intending to build a smart Bangladesh by 2041, the young people voted in the election to lead the country in the hands of the Bangladesh Awami League.

The writer is a columnist and a researcher