The country is celebrating its 54th Independence Day today with due solemnity. This is the day when Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman officially declared the independence of Bangladesh. This is the day that evokes the memories of the Liberation War that we fought for our freedom and lost three million people to the cause. This is also the day that portrays what the nation can do when we stand united, shoulder to shoulder.

On this auspicious day, we gladly acknowledge the journey that we have traversed so far. Under the prudent stewardship of Bangabandhu’s beloved daughter, honourable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the country has made great strides in many sectors. From a basket case to one of the emerging economies in the region, the journey from a war-torn country to a buoyant economy has been nothing short of a miracle.  

The country has done really well in terms of economic growth, infrastructural development, social welfare progress, industrial diversification, agriculture modernisation, and social development. To name a few, our GDP rate has grown exponentially at an average rate of over 6%, along with other mentionable achievements such as near-universal primary education enrolment, increasing literacy rates and life expectancy. After the actualisation of Digital Bangladesh, the country is now moving towards achieving the Smart Bangladesh vision.  

However, we believe there is still room for improvement. More needs to be done to fulfil the promises of our Liberation War. Poverty alleviation needs renewed focus. Income disparity among the rich and poor class is also a cause of concern. Moreover, many people especially those from the rural backwater are still not in a position to reap benefits of digital services.  
Ensuring food security for all, while dealing with the adverse impacts of climate changes, is also a vital challenge for us. Gender discrimination, quality of education and healthcare services are some aspects that need more attention. We are also slipping down in the global graft index, dealing a heavy blow to the country’s endeavour to establish good governance.
There is no denying that we have progressed much in the last few decades. But we cannot afford to rest on our laurels. The government, we hope, will take criticism as inspiration and ramp up its efforts to materialise unfinished promises of our Liberation War. Only then, we will be able to build the Sonar Bangla as envisioned by our Father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.