সোমবার, ২৭ এপ্রিল ২০২৬, ১১:১০ অপরাহ্ন
JASHORE, April 27, 2026 (BSS) – Prime Minister Tarique Rahman today urged the country’s people to remain alert against spreading confusion and creating disorder in the country over the referendum and the July Charter, saying that some individuals and political parties are trying to serve their own political interests over the issue.
“Some individuals and political parties are now trying to divert the referendum in a different direction and creating disorder by misleading the country’s people,” he said.
The premier added: “Everyone must remain alert about those who are trying to divert the verdict of the referendum in a different direction and representing the July Charter in a wrong way for their own political interests”.
Tarique Rahman, also ruling BNP Chairman, made the remarks while addressing a brief gathering this noon after launching the re-excavation work of the historic Ulashi Canal in Sharsha upazila here.
He said if they are succeed to create chaos in the country for their own political gain, the government’s all the programmes undertaken for the people such as Family Card for women, Farmer Card for farmers, canal excavation programmes, initiatives to create employment for unemployed youths, reopening closed mills and factories, programmes to deliver healthcare services to villages, and tree plantation programmes will be disrupted.
He said the people themselves must play a responsible role so that the country’s progress is not hindered.
The Prime Minister said, “The July Charter signed by political parties will be fully implemented step by step.”
Reminding about the mass uprising of August 5, Tarique Rahman said, “The people have already proven that they do not accept any attempt to ignore their will. Just as the people gave an appropriate response on August 5, they will respond in the same way in the future if anyone tries to play with their fate.”
Highlighting various development initiatives of the government, he said, “If these programmes are implemented successfully, positive changes will come in the lives of the country’s people.”
The Prime Minister called upon the countrymen to turn their 20 crore hands into 40 crore to build the country.
“Today we must take an oath. The 40 crore hands of 20 crore people cannot remain idle. These 40 crore hands must be engaged in building the country and changing the fate of its people,” he said.
Tarique Rahman said, “In front of our eyes, many countries in the world have changed their fate over the past 50 years. The condition of Singapore in 1971 was worse than ours, and where have they reached in 50 years? If they can do it, why can’t we? InShAllah, we can too. The people of this country can do it.”
Noting that BNP does politics for changing the fate of the people, he said, “We have seen since independence that at different times they tried to create unrest, confusion and disorder in the country whenever BNP took programmes for changing the fate of the people.”
“We have seen how 173 days of hartal were enforced in the name of movement. You remember how attempts were made to destroy the country’s economy for 173 days. Even now that ghost has creeped up on someone else. Brothers and sisters, you must remain alert in this regard,” the premier said.
Stating that Bangladesh is the last destination for the leaders and activists of BNP, Tarique Rahman said, “We who belong to Shaheed Zia’s party, we who are soldiers of Begum Khaleda Zia, believe that this country is our first and last destination. That is why we say, ‘Prothom Bangladesh, Amar Shesh Bangladesh’.”
Pointing finger to the Ulashi canal, he said there is no water in this canal because this canal has been closed, filled up and occupied in many places, depriving the people of the opportunity to get benefit from it.
“Today, we have come to re-excavate this canal. Nearly 50 years ago, Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman excavated this canal. And if we can re-excavate this nearly four-kilometer canal, people of this area will get water,” said the Prime Minister.
If water comes to this canal through the re-excavation, he said, about 20,000 farmers will benefit directly while about 1,400 tonnes of additional crops will be produced and about 72,000 general people will benefit too.
After the re-excavation, the premier said, the government will plant about 3,000 trees along both sides of the canal.
Noting that out of about 20 crore population of Bangladesh, half are women, he said Begum Khaleda Zia made education free for women up to intermediate level.
The education for girls had earlier been made free up to the school level during Begum Zia’s first tenure and later extended to the intermediate level, said Tarique Rahman.
“We want to take that programme further forward. We have decided that, InShAllah, we will make education for girls free up to the degree level. Not only that, we will arrange stipends for those girls who achieve good academic results,” he added.
Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain, Water Resources Minister Md Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee and State Minister Forhad Hossain Azad and State Minister for LGRD and Cooperatives Mir Shahe Alam spoke at the function with State Minister for Energy and Mineral Resources Aninda Islam Amit in the chair.
Earlier, the Prime Minister formally inaugurated the Ulashi canal re-excavation programme by cutting soil with a spade around 11:55am and planted a sapling on the bank of the canal.
The Prime Minister arrived at the canal excavation site around 11:42 am and unveiled the plaque of the re-excavation programme and offered a “Munajat” there.
On November 1, 1976, the then President Ziaur Rahman excavated the nearly 4-kilometer-long canal from Ulashi to Jadunathpur at Sharsha upazila in Jashore through voluntary labour, which is known as ‘Zia Khal’. This canal is now being re-excavated by the Bangladesh Water Development Board.
JASHORE, April 27, 2026 (BSS) – Prime Minister Tarique Rahman launched the re-excavation programme of the Ulashi ‘Zia Khal (canal)’ at Sharsha upazila here this morning.
He formally inaugurated the re-excavation programme by cutting soil with a spade at 11:55 am.
Water Resources Minister Md Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee and State Minister Forhad Hossain Azad, State Minister for Energy and Mineral Resources Aninda Islam Amit and State Minister for LGRD and Cooperatives Mir Shahe Alam were present on the occasion.
On November 1, 1976, the then President Ziaur Rahman excavated a canal, about four kilometers long, from Ulashi to Jadunathpur, which is popularly known as ‘Zia Khal’.
This canal is now being re-excavated by the Bangladesh Water Development Board.
Earlier, the Prime Minister arrived at the venue around 11:42 am and unveiled the plaque of the re-excavation programme and offered “Munajat” there.
Meanwhile, centering the Prime Minister’s program, people from Sharsha and surrounding areas gathered along the canal side from early morning with eager anticipation to see the Prime Minister. They had roses and tuberose flowers in their hands. Their faces showed joy and excitement.
At that time, they repeatedly chanted slogans loudly welcoming the Prime Minister for his arrival at the spot.
The local people said that the re-excavation of the canal will largely solve water problems and will play an important role in irrigation and increasing agricultural production in future.
At that time, labourer Shahadat Hossain, who had participated in the canal excavation programme with Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman, was sitting on a chair in front of the plaque unveiling site since morning waiting for the Prime Minister.
Shahadat said, “In 1976, Ziaur Rahman came here by a helicopter. He got down in this canal site and started excavation work. At that time I was cutting soil. He (Ziaur Rahman) took the spade from me and cut soil with his own hands and lifted it onto my head”.
“Today after 50 years, his son, our Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, came and re-excavated this canal dug by his father. I feel very happy seeing this with my own eyes. It seems Allah has kept me alive to see this day,” he said with emotion.
Nearly five decades ago, farmers in the Ulashi area of Sharsha in Jashore suffered from waterlogging. Vast lands used to remain under water most of the year.
To ease public suffering, the then President Ziaur Rahman personally launched the canal excavation with a spade on November 1, 1976.
After a long 50 years, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has taken an initiative to revive the nearly dead canal through re-excavation.
Earlier, on March 16, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, also ruling BNP chairman, launched the canal excavation and re-excavation programme simultaneously in 54 districts of the country through inaugurating the re-excavation work of Sahapara canal in Balarampur of Kaharol upazila in Dinajpur.
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman unveiled the foundation stone of the 500-bed Jashore Medical College Hospital at Harinar Beel in Chachra area. Photo: PID
JASHORE, April 27, 2026 (BSS) – Prime Minister Tarique Rahman unveiled the foundation stone of the 500-bed Jashore Medical College Hospital at Harinar Beel in Chachra area in the town today.
A munajat (prayer) was offered on the occasion seeking eternal peace for the departed souls of BNP founder Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman and former three-time Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and peace, progress and prosparity of the country.
Later, Tarique Rahman, also the Chairman of ruling BNP, planted a sapling on the construction site.
Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain, Water Resources Minister Md Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee and State Minister Forhad Hossain Azad, State Minister for Energy and Mineral Resources Aninda Islam Amit and State Minister for LGRD and Cooperatives Mir Shahe Alam and Nargis Begum, wife of BNP former Vice-Chairman late Tariqul Islam, were present on the occasion, among others.
The ministries of Health and Family Welfare and Housing and Public Works are jointly implementing the project.
Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister highlighted his government’s efforts to ensure healthcare services for the country’s people, saying, “Our target is to reach the healthcare services to the doorsteps of people as soon as possible”.
The goal of this government is to keep people away from becoming sick by creating awareness among the people, he added.
“We all have to remember one thing, if we want to move the country and the nation forward, a healthy nation is absolutely needed. If the nation does not healthy, we will fall behind. (Therefore, the current BNP government is working to build a healthy nation,” the premier said.
Highlighting the government’s initiatives taken in health sector, Tarique Rahman, also ruling BNP chairman, said if the people cooperate with the government, it will be easier for the government to implement the government’s endeavours .
“Our goal is to move these works forward in such a way that we can deliver healthcare services easily to the people of Bangladesh at their doorsteps. We will be able to provide health services to the people of Bangladesh very quickly. Let this be our expectation, our plan for the coming days,” he added.
During the tenure of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, the BNP-led four-party alliance government approved the establishment of a medical college in Jashore. A total of 75 bighas of land were also acquired at Horinar Beel, 5 kilometers south of Jashore town.
Later, the construction work of the medical college hospital stalled. But, admission of students in the medical college began in 2010-11 academic session. Then temporarily, the activities of the Medical College started in the Jashore General Hospital building.
In August 2016, academic activities of the college started in its own campus at Horinar Beel without a hospital.
When a movement started demanding the establishment of a medical college hospital in Jashore, at one stage on August 29, 2023, the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) approved a 500-bed Jashore Medical College Hospital. In June 2025, a contractor was appointed.
After the current BNP government came to power, the hospital’s construction work has gained momentum.
