Mymensingh Correspondent
The government is working to expand employment opportunities in the fisheries and livestock sectors, Fisheries and Livestock State Minister Sultan Salahuddin Tuku has said.He said the government has already taken steps to ensure job opportunities for veterinary graduates after completing their studies.“We have already discussed the issue with the finance minister and the finance secretary and informed the prime minister. Necessary steps have been taken so that students of this faculty can secure jobs after completing their studies. InshaAllah, employment opportunities for you will increase in the future,” he said.
The state minister was speaking as the chief guest at the inaugural session of the 32nd annual scientific conference of the Bangladesh Society for Veterinary Education and Research (BSVER) at the Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin Auditorium of Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) in Mymensingh yesterday.Addressing veterinary students, Tuku said their association had submitted a memorandum seeking increased employment opportunities.“Your association has given us a memorandum regarding employment. We have already discussed the matter with the finance minister and the finance secretary and informed the honourable prime minister. We have taken steps to ensure job security for students of this faculty after they complete their studies,” he said.Speaking about manpower and employment in the fisheries sector, Tuku said more than 500 posts have already been approved.
“Many speakers have said that there is only one fisheries officer in an upazila. More than 500 additional posts have already been approved. Manpower will be recruited gradually according to demand,” he said.The state minister said interest in studying fisheries, livestock and veterinary science has increased significantly over the years.“Once, people used to wonder why anyone would study to become a veterinary doctor, and there was little interest in the subject. But that interest has grown now. Scientists are conducting more research as time passes, and the more research we conduct, the more the sector will develop,” he said.He stressed the importance of holding scientific conferences regularly, saying such events provide an important platform for sharing knowledge and advancing research.Tuku also highlighted the need for modern veterinary hospitals across the country.
“There is currently a central veterinary hospital in Dhaka. The government is considering how to establish modern and advanced veterinary hospitals at the divisional, district and upazila levels across the country,” he said.‘BNP is the only party that upholds democracy’The state minister also spoke about the country’s political situation at the event, saying the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is the only political party that has upheld democracy.“If anyone in this country has upheld democracy, it is the BNP. The BNP has never gone against democracy. It is a modern and liberal democratic party,” he said.“We believe in democracy. Whenever the people of Bangladesh have had the opportunity to vote freely, they have chosen the BNP,” Tuku said.Referring to the government’s programmes, he urged people to judge its performance over the full five-year term.
“The people have given us a mandate for five years. Let them see our work for five years. The family card, agriculture card, canal excavation and other programmes undertaken by the prime minister have all been taken in the interests of the people,” he said.“The source of power is the people. Those who want to put the people through suffering, those who are plotting and those who are becoming impatient—what is the reason for this impatience? Let them wait and see first,” he said.Addressing the government’s political opponents, Tuku said the next election would provide an opportunity for the people to decide who should govern the country.
“There will be a free and fair election after five years, and the people will decide who will run the country. But you are not following that path. You are taking the path of conspiracy,” he said.“Conspirators, oppressors, fascists, autocrats and Razakars have never been accepted by the people and never will be. There is still time. Follow the right path, and you will see that politics will become healthier and the country will move forward,” Tuku said.
The inaugural session was chaired by Professor Dr Md Alimul Islam, president of BSVER and vice-chancellor of Sylhet Agricultural University.Mymensingh-4 lawmaker Md Abu Wahab Akand Wahid attended the event as an honoured guest, while BAU Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr AK Fazlul Haque Bhuiyan was the chief patron.Professor Dr M Bahnur Rahman, dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Science; Md Shahjahan Khan, director general of the Department of Livestock Services; and Dr AKM Khasruzzaman, managing director of Inter Agro BD Ltd, were present as special guests.Teachers, researchers and experts from across the country discussed veterinary education and research, sustainable livestock development and global health at the conference.
