Dhaka: Younger people will know less but it is not right. This thinking needs to be changed. Rather the younger ones sometimes know a lot more, can show the way. There is so much in the history of our independence. If we want to develop the country, then it is the responsibility of all of us to create opportunities for the youth.
Sayema Wazed Hossain, vice chairperson of the Center for Research and Information (CRI) and daughter of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, has said so.
She made the remarks at a virtual meeting titled "Planary Let's Talk on Covid-19 Recovery Youth Development" organized by CRI on Sunday night (September 6).
Planning Minister MA Mannan was the chief guest at this virtual meeting. It was also participated by Chief Secretary of the Prime Minister's Office Ahmed Kaikaus as special guest, key note paper was presented by young MP Nahim Razzak. Shibu Kumar Shil, Nadia Samdani, Karobi Raksand, Ishrat Farzana Tanni, Ijaz Ahmed, Habibur Rahman and many others also spoke in the virtual meeting conducted by Navaneeta Chowdhury.
Sayema Wazed Hossain said that in the programs conducted by CRI, young people are always considered. I try to give solutions and ideas to what I think are a problem. Today's topic of discussion is policy development, but where will the change in policy come from? The policy can be changed by looking at where our barriers are, what our challenges are and what our capabilities are, what our needs are.
I got a lot of ideas from this discussion, she said. Hopefully, after getting the information from here, there will be a gradual change of mind at the policy-making stage, especially in terms of development and planning. We need a change of mindset first. The biggest asset of our country is the youth society. Let them work for our country. We have to plan in such a way that our country can move forward.
Sayema Wazed Hossain said young people are not getting much opportunity in creative work. Whether it is in the health sector, in the environment sector, or in the education sector, important work is being done on a small scale everywhere. The main purpose is to make these things more public.
Those of us who are experts or seniors are not thinking about it, she said. Those who are most affected are more concerned about it. They are also working on it. We have to give these opportunities. Covid-19 pandemic is a problem not only for our country, but for all countries. But those of us who are young don't stop there, they are working. Physically they may be safe, but their economic, emotional and educational, future has a greater impact. They may survive, but their education is gone, their job opportunities are gone. The economic things that were the way for them are gone. But the young people have given many solutions to solve it.
Young people are the future of our country, she added. What is the trend of our education system, what are we teaching the youth to read and write in schools. Are they ready for work? What are they learning there? Are they learning to read or are they also learning value? How to contribute to the country, how to participate in the community? How can their environment make it better? They want but we can't show them the way. When we plan, we have to see what the obstacles are, what the opportunities are
However, there is no obstacle for the youth to work. But that's not all. Have we left any obstacles? In fact, there is no obstacle. We need to change the way we think, the less we learn, the less we know. Young people know a lot more, can show the way, so there is in the history of our country's independence.
She said Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman saw a gap in his own community, he thought of doing something with the fellow students there. From there his leadership began basically starting from youth. He had some moral values of his own, he had some drive, he overcame many obstacles, but still he took the opportunity. So if we want to improve the country, we must first create opportunities for our youth. It is a responsibility for all of us.