‘Never thought so many fresh lives would be lost’

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday said the lives lost during the recent quota reform violence can never be brought back even though the destroyed structures are rebuilt.

“The structures that were destroyed can be rebuilt. But we will never get back the lives that were lost,” she said, reports UNB.

The premier said this while inaugurating the National Fisheries Week-2024 at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in the city.

She once again said there was no issue for movement as she fulfilled every demand and the Appellate Division ordered status-quo over the High Court’s judgment and thus restoring the effectiveness of the government’s 2018 notification that abolished the quota system in the public service jobs.

She said even then such incidents and destructive acts were carried out and then many lives were taken in the name of the movement. “I never thought such a situation would arise at this time and so many fresh lives would be lost,” she added.

She said the government formed a judicial inquiry committee headed by a SC justice, without anyone asking for it.

PM seeks cooperation from UN, Int’l organisations for proper investigation:

PM Hasina said the government has sought cooperation from the United Nations and other international organisations to help conduct a proper investigation into the nationwide mayhem centering the quota movement to punish the real culprits involved in the attacks.

Hasina said she has already directed to increase the manpower of the committee by two more members in a bid to expand the area of investigation.

The government has already urged the United Nations and various international organisations, specially those in foreign countries, to cooperate in the investigation.

“There should be a proper and fair investigation of the incident and punishment of the perpetrators,” she said.

To mark the fisheries week, 22 individuals and organisations have been honoured with the National Fisheries Medal in the recognition of their outstanding contribution to the country’s fisheries sector.

In the function, the prime minister conferred them with the medals -six gold medals, eight silver medals and eight bronze medals- and certificates.

The 22 medal recipients include 15 farm owners, two fisheries officers, a project director, a university teacher, an association leader, a project and a committee.

The PM conferred two fishermen with smart identity cards as part of the government’s move to provide the fishermen with the smart cards.

In the event, Fisheries and Livestock Minister Abdur Rahman handed over a special memento to the prime minister for her outstanding contribution to the country’s fisheries sector.

Among the 15 farm owners, three are from Jashore district, two each from Khulna, Satkhira and Cox’s Bazar, one each from Jhenaidah, Bogura, Joypurhat, Mymensingh, Sylhet and Feni.

The week-long ‘National Fisheries Week-2024’ is being celebrated across the country from July 30 to August 05 to promote sustainable development and expansion of fisheries resources. But the prime minister formally opened the fisheries week on Wednesday.

Fisheries and Livestock Minister Md Abdur Rahman presided over the inaugural function, while Fisheries and Livestock Secretary Sayeed Mahmood Belal Haider delivered the welcome speech.