Social Welfare and Women and Children Affairs Minister Professor Dr A Z M Zahid Hossain. File photo

DINAJPUR, July 1, 2026 (BSS) - Social Welfare and Women and Children Affairs Minister Professor Dr A Z M Zahid Hossain today said the government is working to establish good governance and a discrimination-free society, drawing inspiration from the sacrifices of the July martyrs.

"No one in society will be left out of the government's development programmes," he said while addressing the closing ceremony of a week-long basic skills development training programme under the Livelihood Improvement Programme for Marginalised Communities at the Dinajpur District Social Services Complex this afternoon.

The minister said, "We are moving forward with the goal of ensuring that everyone can live well and work together. Everyone must be included in the country's development and progress."

Zahid urged the trainees to apply the knowledge and skills they had acquired in practical life and called on the authorities concerned to ensure the quality of training programmes.

He said development efforts should focus not only on education but also on equipping people with practical skills.

"Providing training alone is not enough. Continued support is needed to make the trainees self-reliant so that their living standards improve in a meaningful way," he added.

The minister said nation-building is a shared responsibility of all citizens. "Our slogan should be: 'We will work, we will build the nation, Bangladesh first,'" he said.

Referring to the government's development agenda, Zahid said the government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, is working to fulfil its commitments and that people are already witnessing the visible benefits of its development initiatives.

The minister paid tribute to those who were killed and injured during the 2024 July Uprising.

"As July begins, I remember with profound respect the July martyrs who sacrificed their lives and those who were seriously injured during the movement against the previous fascist government's 16 years of misrule in July 2024," he said.

He added that the government is working to establish voting rights and democratic rights for the people and remains committed to ensuring the welfare of all citizens irrespective of religion or ethnicity.

Chaired by Deputy Commissioner Rafiqul Islam and conducted by District Social Services Officer Abdul Matin, it was also attended, among others, by Dinajpur Sadar lawmaker Syed Jahangir Alam, Superintendent of Police Md Zedan Al Musa and senior officials.

At the end of the programme, each of the 25 trainees received one cow and one goat as post-training support, while 11 physically challenged persons were provided with wheelchairs.