Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina arrives at the airport in New Delhi, India, Oct 3, 2019. (MANISH SWARUP /AP)

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed her firm belief that her country will soon be established as a developed-prosperous country if its current trend of development continues.

In a message issued on the occasion of the South Asian country’s golden jubilee of independence, she urged all her countrymen and expatriate Bangladeshis to work together to build a hunger-poverty-illiteracy-free “Golden Bangladesh as dreamt by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman”.

Her call came as the country is celebrating a pivotal moment, with the United Nations announcing Bangladesh’s elevation to the status of a developing country from a least-developed country.

In separate messages, Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid, Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen and State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam also greeted people of the country on the occasion.

Saying that Sheikh Mujibur Rahman formally proclaimed the Independence of Bangladesh at the first hour of March 26, 1971, Hasina added: “The 26 March is the day of establishing self-identity of our nation. It's the day of breaking the shackles of subjugation.”

Under Rahman’s leadership, Bangladesh won its independence from Pakistan after a nine-month war 50 years ago.

Bangladesh is celebrating a pivotal moment, with the United Nations announcing Bangladesh’s elevation to the status of a developing country from a least-developed country

To mark the golden jubilee, colorful programs have been chalked out from March 26 to Dec 16, while the country is also observing "Mujib Year" marking the birth centenary of Mujibur Rahman from March 17, 2020 to Dec 16, 2021, said the prime minister.

“In the 50 years since independence what we have achieved has been achieved by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the Awami League,” said Hasina, who is the daughter of the Bangladesh independence leader and currently head of the ruling Awami League party.

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Saying that her party has been working relentlessly to improve the fate of the people inspired by the spirit of the liberation war, she said, “We are implementing the unfinished works of the Father of the Nation. Today, Bangladesh is self-reliant in food production. The poverty rate has come down from 42.5 percent to 20.5 percent in the last 12 years.”

In this aerial photo workers wash fabric after dyeing them in Araihazar, some 50 km from Dhaka, on Jan 10, 2021. (MUNIR UZ ZAMAN / AFP)

“We have formulated the Second Perspective Plan for 2021-2041 and adopted the 8th Five Year Plan. We have started the implementation of 100-year 'Delta Plan 2100' for the first time in the world. Today, the benefits of 'Digital Bangladesh' have been expanded from urban to remote village level.”

We are implementing the unfinished works of the Father of the Nation. Today, Bangladesh is self-reliant in food production. The poverty rate has come down from 42.5 percent to 20.5 percent in the last 12 years. 

 Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh Prime Minister

To keep the economy going offsetting the impacts of coronavirus, the government has announced 23 stimulus packages equal to 4.44 percent of the country’s GDP, she said.

“To ensure that the achievement remains meaningful, all have to know the true history of our great Liberation War and respect the spirit of independence. The spirit of the Liberation War has to be propagated from generation to generation.”

In his message, Hamid said Bangladesh is today moving toward the highway of development at an inexorable pace.

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“We have achieved enormous success in various areas of socioeconomic development including poverty alleviation, education, health, human resources development, women empowerment, reduction of child and maternal mortality rates, elimination of gender discrimination and increase in average life expectancy,” Hamid said. “The rate of poverty has been dropped. Per capita income has tripled over the past decade.

“We must ensure people-oriented and sustainable development, good governance, social justice, transparency and accountability,” he added.

Momen said Bangladesh has transformed into an economic miracle with a sustained high growth during the last 12 years. With its pro-investment policies, huge domestic market, strategically important geopolitical location, political stability and its hard-working skilled people, Bangladesh has become a lucrative destination for foreign investment, he added.

Shahriar Alam said Bangladesh has become a global role model for poverty alleviation, women empowerment, coping with climate change and curbing the child mortality rate significantly and economic growth.