President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Paula- Mae Weeks has profusely praised dynamic and visionary leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the extraordinary ongoing development and economic progress during her tenure. She also praised her leadership in enabling Bangladesh’s graduation from the LDC to the middle-income country. High Commissioner of Bangladesh in Canada Dr Khalilur Rahman recently presented his credentials as the non-resident High Commissioner to Republic of Trinidad & Tobago to President Paula -Mae Weekes at the Presidential Palace in Port of Spain. The High Commissioner extended an invitation to her to undertake an official visit to Bangladesh which could be set up at a mutually convenient date and time in near future. Read more: Media pursues diplomats to speak on Bangladesh’s internal affairs: Momen The President gladly accepted the invitation warmly and expressed to arrange a visit at a mutually convenient date and time in the days ahead, said the Bangladesh High Commission in Ottawa on Tuesday. She also mentioned that she would be pleased to meet a leader like Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina whom she holds in high esteem. The President of Trinidad and Tobago recalled the official visit of Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina to the Port of Spain in 2009 during the Commonwealth Summit. The High Commissioner said there are huge opportunities for the diversification and increase of bilateral trade and investment in the sectors such as agriculture, information and communications technology and shipping between the two countries. He also emphasized on the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two countries for holding the Foreign Office Consultation (FOC) to expand political and economic cooperation. It is expected that the MoU could be concluded during the next visit of the High Commissioner to Port of Spain or virtually. Read more: Speaker of Assam lauds Hasina’s leadership; zero tolerance policy against terrorism The High Commissioner said cooperation in energy sector and climate change issues could be of mutual benefits for both the countries. The High Commissioner also requested continuing support of Trinidad and Tobago for repatriation and resettlement of 1.2 million Rohingyas now sheltered in Bangladesh.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday said all should remain alert so that no one can play with the fate of the people of Bangladesh and stop the country’s remarkable journey to economic development. “We all have to keep up vigil so that no one can play ducks and drakes with the fate of people. Our development march forward must not be hindered in any way,” she said. Sheikh Hasina said this while addressing the nation marking the 3rd anniversary of her current government formed following the 11th national parliamentary election held on December 30, 2018 and stepping into four years of the present Awami League government. State-owned Bangladesh Television and Bangladesh Betar simultaneously aired the Prime Minister’s address. Hasina formed the government for the third consecutive term on January 07, 2019 after her party Awami League’s landslide victory in the 2018 national election. She said many people cannot tolerate it as Bangladesh is now moving fast on the development highway. “So, anti-Bangladesh and anti- independence forces, both at home and aboard, are hatching various conspiracies to stop this progress.” In her 28-minute speech, the Prime Minister said the anti-Bangladesh and anti-liberation forces are trying to confuse people in social media with false, fabricated and imaginary, information in their efforts to misguide the development partners abroad also. “People are the source of power. We believe in the power of people. So, we’re with people,” she stated. Corruption & Militancy The Prime Minister said the government has taken a tough stance against corruption. “The corrupt people are not spared and won’t be spared either, no matter what their political affiliation and strength are. The Anti-Corruption Commission is discharging its duties independently in this connection. But to eradicate this disease, social awareness creation is needed,” she said. The Prime Minister mentioned that the government has resisted the emergence of militancy with an iron hand.  “Bangladesh is a country of communal harmony. The people of all religions and creeds are living here maintaining mutual tolerance and will do so in the future, too.” Read: No one will be allowed to play with people’s fate: Hasina Economic Progress Hasina said Bangladesh has made marked progress in the last 13 years. “In the South Asia, Bangladesh is leading in various socioeconomic indexes, including Poverty eradication, development of the health system, reduction of the maternal and child mortality, increase in average life expectancy, women empowerment and literacy.” She mentioned that this has been possible as people reposed trust in them. “You helped us keep up the pace of the development by giving the scope for running the country for three consecutive times. By continuing this, we’re working to build a pro-welfare, developed and prosperous Bangladesh so that Bangladesh could join the line of the developed countries by 2041. For this, you were with us and I do hope you'll be with us in the future.” To build a potential future for the new generation, Hasina said, the government has worked out all the plans for their present and future activities.  She mentioned that the young generation is full of potential and they can remove all the darkness and hurdles, and thus they will build a progressive and secular Bangladesh, which was the dream of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.  “The power of the youth can materialise the spirit of the Liberation War of Bangladesh. My strong belief is that our next generations will move forward towards the future with their heads high.”

The Foreign Investors’ Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) is going to have an event on November 21 to commemorate the 50 years of Bangladesh’s Independence with a roadmap for FDI and facilitating the economic progress of Bangladesh with three growth drivers. A research report titled “3 Growth Drivers of Bangladesh: Accelerating Investment Opportunities in Agribusiness, Digital Economy and Green Finance” will be unveiled at the event. Planning Minister MA Mannan will be present at the programme as the chief guest, while Salman F Rahman, Private Industry and Investment Adviser to Prime Minister will join it as special guest. Read: Growth target achievable if GDP-Investment ratio increases: FICCI Shwapna Bhowmick, EC Member of FICCI and Country Manager of Marks and Spencer will chair the event.

Chairman of the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations Senator Bob Menendez has underscored the importance of upholding labour rights and workers’ safety alongside economic progress in Bangladesh.  Senator Menendez noted with appreciation Bangladesh’s economic growth and social progress under the leadership of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.  Adviser for Private Industry and Investment to the Prime Minister Salman Fazlur Rahman held a meeting with Senator Bob Menendez at the latter’s Senate Hart Office Building, Washington DC on Thursday.  Also read: Child labour begins to creep back up after two decades: UN agencies Adviser Rahman apprised the Senator about various new initiatives taken at the behest of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to further improve labour rights and workers’ safety. Referring to the recent fire incident in a factory in Rupgonj, the Adviser apprised the Senator of the formation of a high-powered committee headed by him to inspect building safety and remedial measures.   The discussion covered various aspects of Bangladesh-US relations.  The Advisor briefed the Senator on the impressive socio-economic development that has taken place in Bangladesh during the last 12 years under the "dynamic and visionary leadership" of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.  He sought the Senator’s support to further strengthen Bangladesh-US relations. Aslo read: Post-Pandemic World: Can labour rights roar back? The meeting was also attended by Finance Division Senior Secretary Abdur Rouf Talukder and Bangladesh Ambassador to the United States M Shahidul Islam. 

Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal has wondered why Bangladeshis are illegally moving to Europe risking their lives despite Bangladesh’s huge economic progress. “I really don’t understand why people are moving to Europe risking their lives,” he said after a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Public Purchase on Saturday.  The minister said this when reporters drew his attention to recent the rescue of 264 Bangladeshis from Tunisian coast of the Mediterranean. Also read: Businessmen given highest benefits with objective to create jobs: Finance Minister Tunisian authorities on June 24 rescued 267 migrants, most of them Bangladeshis, who tried to sail from neighbouring Libya to Italy across the Mediterranean, reports AFP quoting the International Organization for Migration. Mustafa Kamal said people from other countries are also moving to Europe illegally, not only from Bangladesh. “This is a regular phenomenon.” Also read: Finance Minister dismisses the claim of 2.5 crore new poor Responding to another question, the finance minister said the government has not yet taken any decision on the demand of businesspeople to extend the repayment time of their loans which they placed against the backdrop of the new strict lockdown to check the spike in Covid-19 cases and casualties.  He noted that a high-level committee under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will take any decision on any special allocation for the poor people to save them from the economic fallouts of the new lockdown startling on Monday next. Also read: Corruption hurts me as it does others: Finance Minister

Mentioning that the government always welcomes any peaceful democratic movement, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday said it will not tolerate any destructive activity aimed at realising illogical demands.