PM urges neighbours to take united stand against poverty

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said Bangladesh also thinks about the welfare of its neighbours instead of going alone and urged all the neighbouring nations to take a united stand against poverty as it the common enemy.

"Bangladesh wants to maintain good relations and strengthen connectivity with all of its neighbours taking the advantage of its geographical location in South Asia to ensure the development and welfare of all, including its own people," she said.

The Prime Minister was addressing a civic reception accorded on Sunday to her at the Sheraton Park Lane Hotel here by Awami League United Kingdom unit for her outstanding achievements in different fields, particularly the implementation of the much-awaited Land Boundary Agreement (LBA) with India.

She mentioned that Bangladesh and three other countries -- Bhutan, India and Nepal -- reached a consensus to boost connectivity in the region and a deal in this regard would be signed soon.

Besides, Hasina said, four countries -- Bangladesh, China, Indian and Myanmar -- have undertaken a joint initiative titled ‘BCIM Economic Corridor’ to ensure their economic development through boosting communications and connectivity.

About the country’s gradual economic progress and remittance inflow, she said Bangladesh’s foreign currency now stands at US$ 24 billion dollars as the Bangladeshi expatriates are continuously sending money back home.

Hasina said she always got encouragement to construct the Padma Bridge with the country’s own fund as the expatriates always assured her of all-out support to this end.

Turing to the LBA issue, the Prime Minister said the sufferings of enclave people would have removed and Indian parliament ratified it much earlier had Bangabandhu not been assassinated in 1975 as Bangladesh ratified it through the third amendment to the constitution on November 28 in 1974.

She said the subsequent governments of Zia, Ershad, Khaleda Zia and caretaker regimes did not have the courage to solve the problem.

Referring to killings, burning and vandalism unleashed by the BNP-Jamaat clique during their hartal and blockade programme, Sheikh Hasina said the mastermind of these barbaric acts now lives in London.

She said those who embezzled the money of the orphans and advised to burn innocent poor people to death would not be spared. "They would be brought to justice. The perpetrators and instigators of these heinous crimes must be tried," she said.

Held with UK Awami League President Sultan Mahmud Sharif in the chair, the function was addressed, among others, by Prime Minister’s ICT Adviser Sajeeb Wazed Joy, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam and UK Awami League Joint Secretary Anwaruzzaman Chowdhury.

Noted journalist Abdul Gaffar Chowdhury read out a citation presented to the Prime Minister by expatriate Bangladeshis and the UK Awami League, while UK Awami League general secretary Syed Sajedur Rahman Faruk conducted the function.

A number of members of the British House of Commons spoke at the function after receiving bouquets and copies of the book, ‘Unfinished Memoirs of Bangabandhu’ from the Prime Minister.

They included Labour Party MP from Hampstead and Killbern and granddaughter of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Tulip Siddique, Labour Party MP from Cardiff Central Jo Stevens, Labour Party MP from Ilford North Wes Streeting, Labour Party MP from Ilford South Mike Gapes and conservative MP Paul Sculy.

Speaking at the programme, Tulip Siddique expressed her deep gratitude to the expatriate Bangladeshis. "You all blessed me, I cannot become a British MP without your support."

She won the last election with a thousand margi and “there are one thousand Bangalee voters in my area."

Tulip also said she is very much proud as there are two other Bangalee MPs -- Rushnara Ali and Rupa Huq -- in the British Parliament.

She expressed her desire to visit Bangladesh in December next. "First, I’ll visit Sylhet and then Dhaka," she added.

Awami League Advisory Council Member Suranjit Sengupta, MP, Awami League MP from Jhenidah Nabi Newaz, PM's Media Adviser Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, Press Secretary AKM Shameem Chowdhuri and Awami League leaders from different European countries were present on the occasion.