Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday urged the youths to take up fish farming as their livelihood to exploit the huge scope of employment in this sector.

"There is a huge opportunity of employment in the sector and this should be utilised," she said in a pre-recorded video message to the 18th founding anniversary programme of Awami Matsyajibi League here.

"We have taken measures to improve fish production through expansion of pisciculture and research," she said.

Also read: PM Hasina for harnessing potential of youths

Reiterating her government’s goal of making Bangladesh economically self-sufficient, the prime minster said the country will march ahead following the ideals and principles of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

"On the 50th anniversary of our Independence and birth centenary of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman our pledge will be to make the country developed and prosperous,” she said.

“We will build Golden Bangladesh of the Father of the Nation," she said.

Hasina said the government is providing training to the youths on fish farming to they can make the country more advanced in fish production.

 She said that Karmasangthan Bank is providing collateral free loan to the youths so that they can stand on their own feet.

Hasina said instead of running after office jobs on completion of studies the educated young people can engage in fish production as a means of their livelihood.

She said that the government is establishing 100 economic zones across the country where food processing industries can be set up to create opportunities for marketing.

In this regard she asked Awami Matsyajibi League leaders to strengthen its organisational capacity to supplement government's effort to increase fish production.

Also read: Developing Bangladesh: PM says the glory came through struggles

She said  in 1996,  the Awami League government made the country self-sufficient in food-grains production and after forming the government in 2009 it focused on increasing nutrition along with the food.

In this connection she said that the per capita fish consumption at the country is now 62 grams.

She said that due to the government's initiative to ensure nutrition, the citizens no longer suffer from malnutrition.

The Prime Minister said that to increase the fish production further, which is now around 50 lakh metric tonnes a year, the government is renovating the ponds, excavating canals, beels and rivers.

She also said that the government has taken up special measures to improve Hilsha production, in which Bangladesh is number one now.

"To stop Hilsha catching during the breeding season the government is distributing free food among the fishermen (temporarily jobless)," she said.