Dhaka: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday asked the country's children to prepare themselves as worthy citizens acquiring good knowledge through proper studies to have their own dignified place in this competitive world.

‘You're the country's future leaders...must be attentive to your studies, technological studies ... you must be the experts of the most modern technologies to move forward keeping pace with the world,’ she said.

The Prime Minister came up with the remarks at a function marking birthday of Sheikh Russell, the youngest son of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Sheikh Russell Jatiya Shishu Kishore Parishad organised the programme at Krishibid Institution, Bangladesh (KIB) marking the 52st birthday of Sheikh Russell, reports UNB.

Sheikh Hasina, the eldest sister of Sheikh Russell, asked the children to remain ready for making any sacrifice for the country and the nation as all the great achievements have come through great sacrifices.

She urged all to stay away from the path of militancy and drug addiction to make themselves as ideal human being.

Recalling the various stories related to Sheikh Russell, she said no child should face the fate Sheikh Russell met. ‘I don't want to see the recurrence of such brutal killings on the soil of this country.’

Expressing her government's firm commitment to stop such brutalities in the future, Hasina said her government has enacted laws to protect the rights of children and stop their abuses.

She likened the massacre of 15 August 1975 to that of Karbala. ‘We can only compare it with the Karbala killings. At Karbala, I think, there was no killing of children, but here on August 15 women and children weren't spared,' she said.

Talking about the reason behind the massacre, she said it was only because Bangabandhu liberated this country.

‘The defeated forces along with their local collaborators war criminals carried out the carnage,’ she said.

The Prime Minister mentioned that she and her younger sister Sheikh Rehana had escaped the killing as they were staying abroad at that time. ‘We're working keeping all the sorrows and pains in our hearts just to build the country as dreamt by the Father of the Nation,’ she said.

Hasina said her government is striving to build a country where every child will have a safe life and the opportunity to build his or her future in a congenial atmosphere.

Chaired by founding president of the Parishad M Raqibur Rahman, the programme was addressed, among others, by Chittagong University Vice Chancellor Dr Iftekhar Uddin Chowdhury, advisor to the organization Sirajul Islam Mollah, MP, and secretary general Mahmudus Samad Chowdhury, MP, Dhaka chapter president of Sheikh Russell Jatiya Shishu Kishore Parishad KM Shahidullah, central organising secretary Mujahidur Rahman, Dhaka chapter general secretary M Mojibur Rahman Hawla and little lad Nafiz Bin Nadim.

The Prime Minister distributed prizes among the winners of different sports and cultural competitions on the occasion and later enjoyed a cultural programme performed by the members of the Parishad.