Dhaka: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday inaugurated the newly constructed Toshakhana Museum (Depository Museum) near Bangabandhu Military Museum in the city’s Bijoy Sharani area.

The five-storey modern state depository has been constructed on a 50,000 sqf area under the supervision of Bangladesh Army spending Tk 80 crore, reports the UNB.

All the gifts received by the President, the Prime Minister, ministers and officials in their official capacity are deposited to the Toshakhana under the supervision and maintenance of the Cabinet Division. The state gifts shall be preserved here for public display.

Emphasising the importance of proper preservation of all the gifts received by the state dignitaries at home and abroad, the Prime Minister said all those gifts are state property that brought dignity and honour for the country. ‘So, those gifts should be properly preserved.’

Sheikh Hasina lamented that many gifts, documents inscribed with her name and ‘Boat’ (electoral symbol of Awami League) and many rare photographs were destroyed during the BNP-Jamaat regime.

After the Liberation War, she said, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had taken initiatives to establish a Toshakhana for preservation of the gift received from home and abroad.

Under his directives, Hasina said, Toshakana (maintenance and administration) Rules 1974 was formulated and Toshakhana was established at Bangabhaban.

Turning to the country’s development issue, the Prime Minister stressed the need for upholding the dignity of the nation by building Bangladesh as a hunger- and poverty-free prosperous country.

‘Bangabandhu not only had given us independence, but also the dignity as an independent nation. So, we’ll have to build the country as a hunger- and poverty-free, developed and prosperous Sonar Bangla. We’ve been working relentlessly with this goal in mind,’ she said.

The Prime Minister said the lifestyle of people has improved during the tenure of her government over the last 10 years. ‘We want to improve their lifestyle further.’

Sheikh Hasina said the Golden Jubilee of Independence will be celebrated freeing the country from poverty and hunger, and Bangladesh will be built as a developed nation by 2041.

Chief of Army Staff General Aziz Ahmed, PM’s Principal Secretary Md Nojibur Rahman, Military Secretary Major General Mia Mohammad Zainul Abedin and Engineering Chief of Bangladesh Army Major General Siddiqur Rahman Sarkar also spoke on the occasion.

Bangabandhu’s youngest daughter Sheikh Rehana, Cabinet members, PM’s advisers, members of diplomatic corps, the chiefs of the three services and senior civil and military officials attended the function chaired by Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam.