Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has emphasized the need to bridge ‘digital divides’ to ensure equal opportunities for all, including women. At the same time, the head of government of Bangladesh called upon world leaders to support the financing and technology transfer to take advantage of the fourth industrial revolution by investing in the young population.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina made this call by participating virtually from the Ganabhaban in the opening ceremony (Inaugural Leaders Session) of ‘Voice of the South Summit 2023’ in New Delhi, India on Thursday.
She said, we aspire to build a ‘Smart Bangladesh’ with advanced physical infrastructure as the foundation of a strong economy.
In the fourth of the six proposals in the speech, she focused on reducing the digital divide, saying that these need to be addressed collectively for sustainable global economic growth and the development of the ‘Global South’.
In his first proposal to achieve sustainable global economic growth, he said, world peace and stability must be maintained in the larger interest of humanity.
Second, a new paradigm is needed, which will tackle inequality holistically in parallel with the SDGs.
Third, the most vulnerable countries, including least developed countries, climate-prone countries, need special financing to meet their transition.
At this stage, she emphasized the need to bridge ‘digital divides’ to ensure equal opportunities for all, including women. Capitalize on the fourth industrial revolution by investing in the young population for which financing and technology transfer support is essential, she added.
In the fifth proposal, the Prime Minister said that all people should have equal right to live well. She said the global community should not forget to ensure the return of Myanmar citizens who were unfortunately forcibly displaced.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina thanked the Government of India for inviting Bangladesh as a guest country in the important summit and said that this conference will provide a unique opportunity to engage with their counterparts around the world.
She further said that, Bangladesh, a country of the Global South, welcomes India’s vision as the G20 President to ensure inclusive development under the concept of ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future’.
‘Let us work together for a better future and a better world,’ she added.
Sheikh Hasina said, strengthen South-South and tripartite cooperation to ensure global human development. Here, support from partners, international financial institutions, private sector, think-tanks and other stakeholders is crucial.
Transform Bangladesh into a knowledge-based country by 2041 and build a prosperous and climate resilient delta by 2100. We hope to achieve these goals by ensuring sustainable economic growth and creating opportunities for all,’ added Sheikh Hasina.