Online Desk: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday said her government has been trying its best to keep the country’s economy vibrant even though the world is going through an economic recession. “When the whole world is passing through a recession caused by the Covid-19, the Ukraine war and others, our effort is to keep our economy vibrant. We’re trying our best to do so,” she said. The premier was addressing a commemorative discussion on the death of her former political adviser Dr SA Malek through a virtual platform from her official residence Ganabhaban, reports UNB.

Bangabandhu Parishad arranged the discussion in the city’s Kalabagan area to commemorate its president Dr  Malek, who died on December 06, 2022. Hasina said her government has been building Bangladesh with the ideals of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. “We have been able to transform Bangladesh into a developing country. One day this Bangladesh will be built as a developed and prosperous country,” she said. The PM recalled the contribution of Dr Malek in implementing the ideology of Bangabandhu and spreading the spirit of the Liberation War. “He was always very sincere to implement the ideology of Bangabandhu and bear the spirit of the Liberation War,” she said. She said Dr Malek is one of thr few persons who played the key role to put forth the ideology of Bangabandhu before the people. “He put forth the ideology of the Father of the Nation before the people even amid many adversities,” she added.

The premier said Bangabandhu Parishad was formed to protest the assassination of Bangabandhu and raise his ideology before the people after the 1975 15th August carnage. “Dr SA Malek is one of them who played a key role to put forth the ideology of Bangabandhu before the people,” she said. Hasina said the late leader played a great role in making the people familiar with the term of “Second Revolution” launched by the Father of the Nation. She said Dr Malek and former Dhaka City mayor late Mohammad Hanif played the most significant role in electing her the President of Awami League (in 1981) as they created public opinion and took it to the party forum. The PM said she even scolded Dr  Malek for insisting time and again she became president of the Awami League.

Noting that Dr Malek is a politically conscious person,  Hasina said he had a role in each of the country’s democratic and progressive movements. Recalling the contribution of Dr Malek in the Liberation War, she said, “He fought with great bravery in the battlefield during the War of Liberation in 1971 by taking arms.” In this connection, she recalled the contribution of Dr Matin Chowdhury and others to form the Bangabandhu Parishad. Former Dhaka University Vice Chancellor and also acting President of Bangabandhu Parishad Dr AAMS Arefin Siddique presided over the function.

Senior journalist and presidium member of Bangabandhu Parishad Ajit Kumar Sarker presented a keynote paper titled “Dr S A Malek: Courage Personified and Shaped by Bangabandhu’s Ideals” at the function. Dhaka University Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Md Akhtaruzzaman, former Rajshahi University Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Md Abdul Khalek and Dr SA Malek’s son and also physician at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University Sheikh Abdullah Al Mamun, spoke at the discussion.