Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has reiterated that despite the Covid-19 fallout and the Russia-Ukraine war, Bangladesh economy continues to be in robust shape and that her government is exercising due diligence when taking any loan. In an interview with Indian news agency ANI, Prime Minister Hasina ruled out concerns that Bangladesh could go the Sri Lanka way. She said that currently the world as a whole was facing challenges, not just Bangladesh. Read:“Not only Bangladesh, in India minorities suffered too at times” “Our economy is still going strong… We faced the Covid-19 pandemic, and now the Russia-Ukraine war. That has its effects here. But Bangladesh always makes debt payments timely. So, our debt rate is low. Our economic trajectory and development are (planned) calculatedly,” said the prime minister. Hasina, however, acknowledged that the war in Ukraine has posed some challenges for Bangladesh. “It has negative effects, no doubt, especially in terms of import,” she said. Hasina asserted that because of measured approach, Bangladesh was secure on the economic front. Bangladesh did not take any loan unless it was sure that it would benefit from the project undertaken, she said. Read:“Differences can be resolved through dialogue, Bangladesh-India do precisely that” “I think the whole world is facing economic problems, we are too… But yes, there are people who raise this issue. ‘Oh, Bangladesh will be Sri Lanka!’ This and that. But I can assure you, no, that will not happen. Because we... all our development plans, what we prepare and we implement, we always consider what the returns would be… how people would be benefitted… Otherwise, we don’t initiate any project just to spend money,” she said. “… The moment Covid-19 pandemic started, I called upon our people, and we provided all kinds of support and inputs, up to the village level, and also encouraged our people to grow more food items. I always supported them,” PM Hasina said during interview with ANI. Read Teesta mainly depends on India: PM Hasina tells ANI

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said that her government strongly believes in the values of secularism and any attempt to disrupt communal harmony are immediately dealt with. “As long as we are in power, we will continue to prioritize that and I always tell them (minority communities) that you are our citizens… this is your country too,” PM Hasina said in an interview with Indian News Agency ANI ahead of her visit to India. Hasina, however, said that extremism was not limited to Bangladesh as many countries, including India, were witnessing it. She said one of the reasons for the ongoing rise in extremism was social media. Read: “Differences can be resolved through dialogue, Bangladesh-India do precisely that” “Some incidents take place but we immediately take action… These are unwanted situations but you know very well, it is not only Bangladesh, in India minorities suffered too at times,” she said. “… You know Bangladesh is a secular country and we have many religions here… there is religious harmony here. So, one or two incidents, when these happen, immediately... especially my party... my party activists, they are very conscious about it and my government as well. We immediately take action,” she said. Asked to comment on the role of the community of bloggers and others on social media, Hasina said that it is not desirable that people write things to hurt each other and added that her government tried to curb such cases. “Look, extremism is everywhere… even in India and other countries... Because of social media it has become very... very bad nowadays,” Hasina said. Read Teesta mainly depends on India: PM Hasina tells ANI Hasina told ANI that while some incidents have occurred, Bangladesh has a tradition where people of all religions take part in all celebrations. “Together we celebrate... In Bangladesh, during Durga Puja, people celebrate together. So, the religious harmony is there but now some incidents happen here and there… Our government immediately takes action against it,” the PM said. Asked about the prevalence of cattle-smuggling from India into Bangladesh, Hasina said the issue was under discussion and the magnitude of the problem had also been reduced a lot. Read CEPA to be win-win for both countries: IBCCI President

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said there can be differences but those should be addressed through dialogue – noting that in a number of areas, Bangladesh and India have done precisely that. PM Hasina, during an interview with Indian news agency ANI, referred to the neighbouring country as a “tested friend”, and said that India stood by Bangladesh in its hour of need, first in 1971 and then at later times as well. “We always recall their contribution during the 1971 (Liberation) war. In 1975, when we lost our family members, the then Prime Minister gave us shelter in India… We are neighbours, close neighbours, and I always give priority to friendship with our neighbouring countries,” she said. Hasina lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s initiative towards rescuing Bangladeshi students who were stuck in eastern Europe, when the Russia-Ukraine war broke out. Read: PM’s India Visit: Bilateral instruments on water management, defence, railway likely to be signed In a free-wheeling television interaction with ANI, Prime Minister Hasina, who is set to visit India tomorrow (September 5, 2022), also lavished praises on the Modi government’s gesture of providing Covid-19 vaccines to neighbouring countries under its “Vaccine Maitri” programme when the pandemic was at its peak. The Bangladesh prime minister emphasized on closer cooperation between the two neighbours. She marked out two areas for special praise where the Indian government’s support helped Bangladeshi citizens. “I would like to express my thanks to Prime Minister (Modi)… during this war between Russia and Ukraine, many of our students were stuck and they went to Poland for shelter. When they evacuated your students, Indian students, they also brought our students back home... You have shown a clearly friendly gesture. I thank the Prime Minister for this initiative,” Hasina said. Read: Teesta mainly depends on India: PM Hasina tells ANI She was responding to a question about remarks often made, especially by western observers, that there was a lack of cooperation among SAARC nations. To another question about the Indian government’s Vaccine Maitri programme, Hasina said it was a “prudent” initiative taken by Prime Minister Modi. “I really thank Prime Minister Modi for this initiative, and the way he... you know, contributed vaccines to not only Bangladesh, but also other South Asian countries, and it’s been really very helpful.” “…Besides, we bought vaccines with our own money, and also many other countries contributed,” Hasina said. Hasina also gave details about her country’s vaccination programme. Bangladesh has administered Covid-19 vaccines to 90 percent of its population. Read Bangladesh is building a modern transport system: PM “Usually, people from our country, especially at the village level, even in some towns also, I found many people very reluctant to take the vaccine. They don’t want to take the... you know... the prick of the needle, so... we had to pursue them. We told them that this is nothing, it will save your life… this Vaccine Maitri itself... very good initiative,” she said. The relationship between the two countries should be for the betterment of their citizens, she said. Hasina said even during the Covid 19 period, Indian leadership had shown their positive intentions as both the then President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Bangladesh as it celebrated its Independence Day. “I thank Prime Minister Modi and also your honourable president. Both of them visited Bangladesh when we were celebrating the birth centenary of our Father of the Nation and also 50 years of our independence, and our friendship with India. India recognised Bangladesh early on, so that bond, I think that is our main priority. That their visit at such a time, even that time there was a Covid-19 pandemic but beside that both of them honoured us, honoured our people,” Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina said during her interview with ANI. Read “Not only Bangladesh, in India minorities suffered too at times”