Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday said there will be no shortage of any commodity in the market during the upcoming month of Ramadan.
“There’ll be no scarcity of anything during Ramadan. All arrangements have already been made,” she said, replying to a question at a press conference in her official residence Ganabhaban.
The press conference was organised to inform about the outcomes of her recent visit to Germany to attend the Munich Security Conference-2024.
Talking about essential commodities during the month of fasting, Hasina said there is an arrangement to import sufficient amounts of goods like gram, dates and sugar. “So, there will be no problem with this,” she added.
No global leader raised question about last month's election:
The premier said no global leader raised any concern and question about last month's general election during her recent visit to Germany.
“No one said anything about the election. They don’t have any concern and question regarding the election,” she said, replying to another question.
The prime minister said bilateral issues dominated the agenda of her meetings with global leaders, held on the sidelines of the conference.
“None told me anything about the election as they knew that I would come back winning the election,” she said.
Not naming anyone, she said there is a country where the election is called free and fair despite it takes 12-13 days to declare the poll results.
How come! In Bangladesh, the election is not free despite its results announced within 24 hours (of the balloting), she said.
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Traffic light signaling system to be activated in Dhaka city:
The prime minister said she already asked the authority concerned to activate the traffic light signaling system on a larger scale instead of the manual signaling system in Dhaka city in order to ease traffic congestion.
“I talked to IGP yesterday (Thursday) and asked him to take measures to activate the traffic light system in a better way so that our traffic congestion can be eased to a tolerable-level,” she said when her attention was drawn to the traffic in the upcoming Ramadan.
She said there is no additional pressure of traffic on the city streets now like before the metro-rail era. So, there is a scope to go for the traffic light system, she added.
Int’l platforms don’t work on time: PM
The prime minister said there are many international platforms, but the forums don’t work in times of need.
“I think many platforms were already formed, but these don’t work in time,” she said responding to a question from Enayetullah Khan, Editor-in-Chief of United News of Bangladesh (UNB).
The prime minister said she doesn’t think of taking any initiative to create a new platform with middle powers or emerging powers as she is busy with Bangladesh and the large population on a small land.
Khan in his question said now Bangladesh is in a geopolitical conflict when the non-alliant platform has become irrelevant in the current political landscape. There are middle powers and emerging powers like ours (Bangladesh). Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam among them, he said.
“You (Sheikh Hasina) have led many issues starting from climate change to mother and child, and women empowerment (in the international forums). Do you think of taking an initiative to create a new platform with the middle powers and emerging powers?” asked the UNB Editor-in-Chief.
In reply, the premier said, “I am an ordinary person. I am busy with my country, its people, the large population on a small land (of the country). Yes, I raise my voice and protest where I see any injustice. I always say that I don’t want war, rather I want peace.”
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Hasina, however, said she doesn't have any competence and contemplation to form any platform like this.
She said vetoes are given even over proposals to stop the Gaza war in the United Nations Security Council as had been during the Liberation War of Bangladesh. But genocide continues in Gaza where even hospitals are not being spared of attacks and children don’t have foods.
“I protest such things. I am conscious enough over my power whatever I have. I don’t think that I need to do anything bigger than it,” she said.
Answering a question, the PM said in the next five years, her government’s focus will be on the progress of Bangladesh as a developing nation as the country will start its journey as a developing country in 2026. “We have already formed various committees and are working in that way,” she said.
She said there is a lack of true political parties in Bangladesh. Bangladesh Awami League was formed in 1949 to raise public voice and then marched forward, leading movements and struggles. But no other party in Bangladesh has such history, she said, adding that Jamaat is a party of war criminals and BNP and Jatiya Party were born from the pockets of military dictators.
The prime minister went to Munich on February 15 and returned home on February 19.
During her stay in Munich, Hasina attended the Munich Security Conference and held meetings with global leaders on the sidelines.