Dhaka, Jan 14 (UNB) - Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday asked engineers to ensure proper utilization of tax money as responsible citizens of the country, through their honesty, efficiency and dutifulness.

She also directed the engineers to ensure more services to the people through a smooth and planned use of the limited resources of the country.

“It will be possible to render services to many more, if planned and proper utilization of the limited resources are ensured,” said the prime minister, at the inaugural session of the four-day 53rd Convention of the Institution of Engineers Bangladesh (IEB) at the IEB premises in the city.

She also hoped that the engineers and technologists would put emphasis on proper planning and the right usage of technology to this end.

Sheikh Hasina mentioned that around 85 percent funds of the government’s development activities are spent through the engineers.

She said: “Proper utilization of state resources as well as maintaining qualitative standard of the development activities depend on the honesty, efficiency and dutifulness of the engineers.”

The Prime Minister stressed the need for low-cost sustainable equipments and structures, innovation of alternate energy and energy-efficient equipments, as well as innovating techniques for building low cost houses.

She highlighted the need for adopting improved methods of cultivation and crop preservation to ensure food security.

Hasina also urged the engineers to find ways to reduce post-harvest losses that account for nearly Tk 30,000 crore per year in absence of appropriate preservation facilities.

She put emphasis on sustainable and environment-friendly development programmes to cope with the adverse impacts of climate change, which appeared as a big challenge recently.

New sustainable technologies should also be innovated for combating climate change impacts such as protecting river erosion and drainage of water, she said.

The Prime Minister asked the IEB to suggest a specific policy to set up residential, commercial and industrial areas at district and upazila level to ensure maximum utilization of limited lands in the country.

Referring to the fact that around Tk 100 crore are being spent every year for importing agricultural equipments, she hoped that the country would become self-reliant in producing such equipments if technology, training and capital are made available to the manufacturers.

Hasina said that during the last seven-year rule of the BNP and caretaker governments, power generation had not witnessed even one megawatt of addition whereas 3,000 MW of additional power was added to the national grid in the last three years.

She said that in order to raise power generation to 7,000 MW by 2013 and
20,000 MW by 2021, the present government has taken the initiatives of establishing coal-based power plants, nuclear power plants, construction of inter-grid network with India, and joint initiative of hydroelectricity generation with Bhutan and Nepal.

About digital Bangladesh, she said apart from bringing 4,501 unions under internet network through Union Information Centers, the government has also taken the initiative for a second submarine cable connection for ensuring high speed internet facilities.

Earlier, the Prime Minister distributed medals and certificates among the best engineers for their outstanding contributions in their respective fields in 2011.

She also unveiled a memorial sculpture of the liberation war, set up on the IEB premises.

IEB president Engr. Nurul Huda presented the Prime Minister with a crest of the 53rd IEB convention.

The function was also addressed by IEB president Engr. Nurul Huda and general secretary Engr. Abdus Sabur.

Convenor of the convention preparatory committee Engr. Munir Uddin Ahmed gave the welcome address while its member secretary Engr. Mohammad Hossain offered the vote of thanks for the event.