Sheikh Hasina
‘Will continue working with Hasina’, reassures Modi
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said he will work with his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina to further expand and deepen ties between the two countries.
"I look forward to continuing working with PM Sheikh Hasina to further expand and deepen our ties," he tweeted on Monday as the two countries celebrate ‘Maitri Diwas’ (Friendship Day).
Read: Maitree Week highlighting Indo-Bangla friendship observed in Dhaka
Just 10 days before the liberation of Bangladesh in 1971, India had recognised Bangladesh on December 6, 1971.
India was one of the first countries to establish bilateral diplomatic ties with independent Bangladesh.
“Today India and Bangladesh commemorate Maitri Diwas. We jointly recall and celebrate the foundations of our 50 years of friendship," Modi said.
During the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Bangladesh in March this year, it was decided to commemorate the 6th December as "Maitri Diwas".
Maitri Diwas has been commemorated in 18 countries around the world apart from Bangladesh and India.
Read: Bangladesh, India to celebrate ‘Maitree Diwas’ in 18 countries Dec 6
The countries are Belgium, Canada, Egypt, Indonesia, Russia, Qatar, Singapore, the United Kingdom, Australia, France, Japan, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Switzerland, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates and the United States of America.
The Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) is organising a special event in New Delhi this afternoon. It will see participation from both countries.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will send a video message for the event.
PM mourns death of freedom fighter Golam Hasnain
Prime Minister and Awami League Sheikh Hasina on Saturday expressed deep shock and sorrow at the death of Advocate Golam Hasnain, one of the members of the Constitution formulation committee, and former member of Gano Parishad.
She prayed for the eternal salvation of the departed soul and expressed sympathy to the bereaved family.
READ: PM mourns her teacher Dr Rafiqul Islam’s death
Ekhushey Padak winning Golam Hasnain was one of the organisers of the Liberation War and a former president of Pabna district Awami League.
Golam Hasnain breathed his last at about 5am Saturday at his own home. He was 92. He is survived his two sons and two daughters.
READ: PM mourns death of noted actor Mahmud Sajjad
Meanwhile, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader also expressed deep shock and sorrow at the death of Advocate Golam Hasnain.
Peace Conference testimony of Bangladesh's commitment to global security: FM
Hosting the World Peace Conference here is the testimony of Bangladesh's "unflinching commitment" to the promotion of global peace, security, and development, said Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen.
"The country, under the pragmatic statesmanship of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, will continue to remain on the side of any initiative to promote peace as a fundamental premise for our pursuit of sustainable development," he said.
Dr Momen reiterated that Bangladesh continues to be inspired by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who firmly believed in democratic rights, people's welfare and social justice as the cornerstone for building a peaceful world.
He made the remarks welcoming the participants of the World Peace Conference at a dinner that he hosted at a city hotel on Friday.
Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam, State Minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak and Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen were, among others, present.
On behalf of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Chief Patron of the World Peace Conference and on his personal behalf, Dr Momen welcomed the participants in this historic city.
Read: Bangladesh’s World Peace Conference: Ban Ki-moon, Gordon Brown among global figures
The Foreign Minister paid deepest respect to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, whose unprecedented charismatic leadership and long struggle helped achieve long-cherished independence.
"Our enduring commitment to global peace has been best exemplified through the ‘People’s Empowerment and Development,’ a peace-centric model that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina proposed to the UN in 2011, leading to its adoption by a consensus by the comity of nations," Dr Momen said.
He said peace is more than a suspension of war and peace covers everything that contributes to lowering international tensions: cooperation that eases competition for scarce resources, institutions that channel power rivalries and allow better management of global public goods, regulation that responds to new abuses power or inequalities born of globalization, bridges between generations as well as equality between women and men for peaceful societies.
"Peace can only be sustainable through appropriate and effective global governance to respond to global challenges," Dr Momen said.
He said the Prime Minister’s remarkable efforts to establish a culture of peace not only in her own country or in the region, but in the world, made her one of the Champions of Peace of the present days.
Her commitment towards fulfilment of the dream of Bangabandhu to make Bangladesh a Sonar Bangla- the Golden Bengal, has resulted into current day’s Bangladesh – a prosperous and peaceful country, said the Foreign Minister.
Read: World Peace Conference: Dhaka to adopt ‘Peace Declaration’
President Abdul Hamid will inaugurate the "World Peace Conference-2021" on Saturday that will bring together global thinkers, political personalities and peace promoters.
The conference will look back on Bangabandhu’s vision and political struggle for peace.
Hasina will attend the closing ceremony of the two-day conference on Sunday as the chief guest. Both the President and the Prime Minister will join the event virtually.
The conference, to be held in a hybrid format through both physical and virtual participation, will also shed light on the legacy being carried forward by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in her “untiring quest” of building a peaceful, just, rights-based, inclusive and prosperous nation.
“Bangladesh will get a special document through adoption of – “Dhaka Peace Declaration” – which will work as a reference for Bangladesh’s all peace and security-related global initiatives to be taken in the future,” said the Foreign Minister.
PM mourns her teacher Dr Rafiqul Islam’s death
Expressing deep shock at the death of her teacher National Professor Rafiqul Islam, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday said the professor will ever remain alive as a shining star in Bangla literature and research.
In a condolence message, Sheikh Hasina said the history Dr Rafiqul Islam had written as an eyewitness following his active participation in the Language Movement and the great Liberation War are invaluable resources for Bengali literature.
Ekushey Padak and Swadhinata Padak winning writer and eminent Nazrul researcher Prof Rafiqul Islam, 87, passed away at Evercare Hospital in the capital on Tuesday.
Also read: National Professor Rafiqul Islam dies at 87
Prof Rafiqul Islam was also the chairman of Bangla Academy and president of the National Implementation Committee to celebrate the Birth Centenary Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Hasina said he had an outstanding contribution to Nazrul research. “The literary work of this eminent writer and researcher will always inspire the Bengali nation with the spirit of Liberation War and patriotism. He will remain alive as a shining star in Bengali literature and research,” said the Prime Minister.
Also read: PM mourns death of AL leader Abdur Rahman
“With his death, I’ve lost my teacher, mentor and guardian. My beloved teacher’s encouragement and motivation on various nationally important issues gave me courage and strength to move forward,” she said.
The Prime Minister prayed for the salvation of the departed soul and expressed deep sympathy to bereaved family members.
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen also expressed deep shock at the death of National Prof Dr Rafiqul Islam.
In a separate condolence message, Dr Momen said the country has lost a great teacher and guardian following the death of Prof Rafiqul Islam.
The Foreign Minister prayed for the departed soul and conveyed deep sympathy to the bereaved family members.
Growing violence in Rohingya camps can spread beyond borders, PM warns ASEM summit
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday urged the international community to give proper attention to the Rohingya issue as growing violence and crimes in the Rohingya camps can soon spread beyond borders. “The security situation in the Cox’s Bazar camps is getting complicated. The growing violence and crimes can soon spread beyond our borders,” she said.
READ: Bangladesh’s Golden Jubilee of Independence: PM seeks general discussion in Parliament
The prime minister made the statement in a video message played in the two-day13th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Summit that concluded in Cambodia on Friday. She also cautioned the world community saying that a provisional response to the crisis will serve little purpose. “A critical test of our multilateral cooperation will be to find a lasting and peaceful solution for Myanmar’s forcibly displaced people – the Rohingyas,” she said. In this connection she mentioned that Bangladesh offered temporary shelter to the Rohingyas and stabilized the situation. “We continue to amplify the demand for their safe and dignified return to Myanmar. I urge the international community to give proper attention to the concerns we are raising,” she said. Sheikh Hasina said that the COVID-19 pandemic has put a heavy pressure on the health systems and economies across the world. “It has compelled us to divert our development resources for emergency treatments and vaccines,” she said. In this regard, she said that the government adopted a strategy to save both lives and livelihoods, and announced 28 stimulus packages worth USD 5.4 billion to offset the impacts of the pandemic. “Our priority now is to preserve our hard-earned development gains in reducing poverty and hunger, saving mothers and children, promoting literacy and education, and ensuring safe and healthy living,” she said.
READ: Bangladesh Army should be People’s Army: PM
Ensure democracy and good governance eradicating corruption: Opposition MPs
Opposition MPs on Thursday urged the government to ensure democracy and good governance eradicating corruption and irregularities in order to implement the spirit of the country’s independence.
But the treasury bench MPs mainly highlighted the development of Bangladesh during the Awami League rule, particularly under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Both opposition and ruling party MPs participated in a two-day special discussion that concluded on Thursday in Parliament, marking the Golden Jubilee of Bangladesh’s Independence.
Leader of the House and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday placed a proposal for holding a general discussion in Parliament under section 47 of the Rules of Procedure to mark the 50 years of the country’s independence.
The proposal was adopted unanimously by voice vote on Thursday after the general discussion. Fifty-nine MPs from across the board joined the discussion and spoke for 10 hours and 45 minutes.
President Abdul Hamid on Wednesday delivered a commemorative speech, marking the Golden Jubilee of independence.
Joining the discussion, Jatiya Party Secretary General Mujbul Haque said there is no doubt what the country has achieved, but corruption and irregularities need to be eradicated to materialize Bangabandhu’s dreams.
"Bangabandhu had said corruption must be eradicated. But that was not done. In order to implement Bangabandhu's philosophy, corruption must be stopped,” he said.
“Plundering of banks, default loans and money laundering were not Bangabandhu's dreams. We’ll have to stop all these ugly things,” said the JP MP.
Read: Opposition MPs slam mismanagement, politics in health sector
Another JP lawmaker, Anisul Islam Mahmud, said all the achievements would be shattered if the institutions of the country are not strengthened.
“Though 50 years have elapsed since independence, our institutions have not been strengthened enough. So, we’ve to do that. Otherwise, all the achievements will go in vain,” he said.
He said there is no denial that Bangladesh has witnessed significant development. “Since election is the main principle of democracy, I urge the Prime Minister to strengthen the EC.”
Workers Party President Rashed Khan Menon said social disparity continues to expand in the country even though Bangladesh has attained massive development.
“The disparity has widened and turned acute. Bangladesh is seeing unprecedented development under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina as there has been marked progress in all economic indexes…but the assets and wealth of the country have got concentrated in the hands of a few,” he said.
Expressing dismay over the participation of businessmen in politics, Menon said, "We’ve noticed today that a military-civil bureaucracy-rich group has developed centering the ruling power.”
Noting that Bangabandhu had brought the bureaucracy under public representatives, Menon said now the public representatives are under the bureaucracy.
“We’ve to take the development and democracy forward simultaneously, and resist all sorts of communal activities,” he said.
Agriculture Minister Dr Muhammad Abdur Razzaque said Bangladesh has now become as the role model for development in the last 50 years of independence, proving all the speculations of international groups wrong.
Read: Opposition MPs call Health Minister “shameless” over health sector “failures”
He said many international personalities had predicted that Bangladesh might not survive as an independent country and even if it survives it would have to depend on foreign aid. “But Bangladesh is now a role model proving their predictions wrong,” he said.
The Agriculture Minister urged all to get united to implement the ideology of Bangabandhu.
AL MP Shajahan Khan said the ideology of Bangabandhu and the spirit of Liberation War are the only values for people to take the country forward.
He urged the people of Bangladesh to fight all the conspiracies against the country. “We all would have to be united under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina.”
BNP MP Rumeen Farhana said Bangladesh was liberated as an independent country with a motto of establishing democracy.
“But in the last one decade, limited democracy has been introduced in Bangladesh,” she said.
Rumin said, the “more development, less democracy” culture is going on in Bangladesh now just like Ayub's (Pakistani autocratic ruler) “basic democracy”.
BNP MP Harunur Rashid slammed the government saying that corruption is everywhere, especially in the health and education sectors.
He said there is no democracy and the rule of law in Bangladesh.
Maldives Vice President due Monday
Faisal Naseem, Vice President of the Republic of Maldives, is scheduled to arrive here on Monday on a three-day official visit to take forward the bilateral relations and discuss potential areas of cooperation.
Cooperation in the areas of health, education, manpower export will be discussed during his visit apart from other bilateral issues.
Asked whether the Vice President will meet President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, a diplomat told UNB that they are working on it.
Read: Bangladesh looks to export resort wear to Maldives
The Vice President is likely to have meetings with a number of Ministers, including Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen and Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni.
Dr Momen will receive the Vice President of the Maldives upon his arrival around 9:15am, said a senior official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Vice President would be accompanied by, among others, two Cabinet Ministers and the Foreign Secretary of the Maldives.
Read: Maldives govt comes down heavily on “India Out” slogan, reaffirms ties with Delhi
Faisal Naseem was sworn into office on 17 November 2018 for a 5-year term.
Earlier, Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih visited Bangladesh in March and joined Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's birth centenary celebrations and Bangladesh's Golden Jubilee of independence.
UK MoS calls on PM, finds common ground on issues
The United Kingdom has expressed its keenness to work on alternative energy with Bangladesh.
UK Minister of State for South Asia, the United Nations and the Commonwealth Lord Tariq Ahmad of Wimbledon expressed the desire when he called on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her official residence Ganobhaban.
Prime Minister’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed the reporters after the call-on.
He said that during the meeting both also discussed various issues like climate, British-Bangladesh trade and the Rohingya issue.
Emphasizing on green energy, the UK state minister said that the region has a great potential of green energy as Nepal and Bhutan have hydroelectricity.
He also said hydroelectricity can be distributed through establishing a regional grid.
“We are working on it,” the Prime Minister replied.
As Tariq Ahmad stressed the need for solar energy, Sheikh Hasina said that Bangladesh has so far given 6.5 million solar connections.
About the Rohingya issue, Ahmad said that they want the Rohingyas to return to their homeland in Myanmar from Bangladesh.
He mentioned that he met many Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar and said they highly lauded Bangladesh’s Prime Minister and the present government.
The UK minister said that Rohingyas blamed their men for causing trouble in their camps, quoting them as saying he added: “No Bangladeshi is responsible for causing trouble in the camps."
Sheikh Hasina told the UK minister that some Rohingyas have been shifted to Bhasan Char.
The Prime Minister said that her government has taken measures to give them jobs, proper education and training to make them skilled as they will not be considered a burden when they are sent back to their homeland.
READ: Bangladesh assumes IORA chairmanship; eyes inclusive development
She called upon the international agencies to work for the Rohingyas upon taking them back to Myanmar.
Prime Minister’s Principal Secretary Dr Ahmad Kaikaus and the British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Robert Chatterton Dickson, were present.
READ: Fuel prices hiked in line with global market: PM
Dr Zafrullah seeks steps from PM for Khaleda’s bail
Gonoshasthaya Kendra's founder Dr Zafrullah Chowdhury on Sunday made a humanitarian call to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to take steps for ensuring bail to ailing BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia.
In a statement, he said, “As a physician, I make a humanitarian request to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wazed and the government to take steps to give bail to ailing Begum Khaleda Zia."
Stating that Khaleda has long been suffering from various complicated diseases, Zafrullah said her health condition has deteriorated from all sides.
“Her diabetes is completely out of control while hemoglobin level in her blood has also dropped significantly. She has been suffering for many years from arthritis, dental and eye problems. The creatinine level of her kidneys has crossed the borderline,” he said.
Zafrullah, also a freedom fighter, said Khaleda has to remain now under intensive treatment as some parameters in her body are abnormal. “She’s very weak physically. She has already been infected with coronavirus.”
READ: Dr Zafrullah describes how Bangladesh can go for low-cost vaccine production
The noted doctors said it is not a good sign that Khaleda has been frequently getting admitted to the hospital for treatment.
In this situation, he said Khaleda now needs to move freely in the open air and take treatment as per her wish.
“Her crucial need is bail from the Prime Minister and the government considering her physical condition, age and political and social position,” Zafrullah observed.
Khaleda has been undergoing treatment in the Coronary Care Unit (CCU) of Evercare Hospital in the capital.
On Saturday, she was readmitted to the hospital for follow-up treatment, nearly a week after she was discharged from it.
It is for the third time that the 76-year-old BNP chief was admitted to the hospital this year for various health complications.
READ: Bring Zaima back home to revive BNP: Dr Zafrullah
The BNP chief's physicians said she has been suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, ophthalmological and dental complications.
Her family applied to the government twice in May and August this year seeking permission to take her abroad for better treatment, but the government turned it down saying there is no scope for a convicted person to avail of such a scope.
Amid the coronavirus outbreak, the government freed Khaleda Zia from jail for six months through an executive order suspending her sentences on March 25 last year.
On September 19, the government for the fourth time extended the suspension of her jail term with conditions that she will not leave the country and stay at her Gulshan home.
Hasina slams Tarique for conspiring against Bangladesh
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday said fugitive convict Tarique Rahman keeps hatching conspiracies against Bangladesh from a foreign land.
“As a fugitive, Tarique Zia lives outside Bangladesh but doesn’t stop conspiring inside the country. His conspiracies are going on. But we’ve been taking the country forward facing all the plots,” she said while addressing a civic reception here.
The Bangladeshi community living in France accorded the reception to the Prime Minister.
It is now proven correct that BNP high-ups were directly involved in the August-21 grenade attacks, said Hasina mentioning the subsequent remarks and activities of the BNP leaders after the attack.
Read: Rohingya repatriation: PM seeks strong steps from world leaders
Tarique Zia is also convicted in the August 21 grenade attack case, she said.