Bangladesh can produce Covid-19 vaccine if gets chance: PM
"I have already allocated a land for this purpose as my government aims to earn respect for the countrymen," said the premier
Bangladesh has the capacity to produce Covid-19 vaccines and also export to other countries if given the chance, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina told the parliament today.
"I have already allocated a land for this purpose as my government aims to earn respect for the countrymen," the premier said at the 15th session of the 11th Jatiya Sangsad session.
She made the remark during a discussion on the proposed resolution of Unesco-Bangladesh Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman International Prize for the Creative Economy.
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The Prime Minister took part in a special discussion on a thanksgiving motion under Rule 147 placed by Moulvibazar-4 MP Abdus Shahid to convey gratitude to the Unesco.
She said that it was a great honour for Bangladeshi people as the UN body named the prize after the Father of the Nation.
"We want the young people of Bangladesh to come up and work like Uganda's MoTIV Creations Limited. I believe one of the Bangladeshi organizations will get the prize one day," she added.
The parliament later unanimously adopted the motion by voice vote with Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury in the chair.
Sheikh Hasina said the Bangladeshi youths will come forward like Uganda's MoTIV Creations Limited which has got the maiden prize for their contribution to the creative economy and has been working to boost talent and creativity of their youths in generating employment.
"We have taken a startup programme mainly to create scope for the young generation of Bangladesh," she said.
The prime minister said her government has been creating the scope for the young people to flourish their talents and creativity.
Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni, MP, Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen, MP, Deputy Leader of the House GM Quader, MP, Amir Hossain Amu, MP, Begum Matia Chowdhury, MP, Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, MP, State Minister for Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Zunaid Ahmed Palak, MP, Nurul Islam Nahid, MP, Rashed Khan Menon, MP, Md. Moshiur Rahman Ranga, MP, Mujibul Haque Chunnu, MP, Fakhrul Imam, MP, Harunur Rashid, MP, Dr Rustam Ali Farazi, MP, Kazi Nabil, MP, and Washika Ayesha Khan, MP, took part in the special discussion.
The establishment of the "Unesco-Bangladesh Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman International Prize for the Creative Economy" was unanimously approved by acclamation at the 210th session of Unesco's Executive Board.
The Prize, which will reward outstanding initiatives that promote the engagement of young people in the creative economy, was made possible thanks to the generous support of the government of Bangladesh.
Named after the Father of the nation, the Unesco-Bangladesh Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman International Prize for the Creative Economy will award, every two years, US$50,000 to an individual or organisation with recognised excellence in nurturing entrepreneurship among young people in the cultural and creative industries.
Initiatives that promote entrepreneurship among women, migrant and diaspora communities will be given priority.
The Prize will contribute directly to Unesco's Global Priority on Gender Equality and Unesco's Operational Strategy on Youth.
