By Mizan Rahman/Dhaka
Prime minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday claimed the international community had no questions about Bangladesh’s January 5 parliamentary polls.
Hasina was speaking to the press at her official residence Gonobhaban in Dhaka about her recent Italy tour attending the 10th summit of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM).
On criticisms of the January 5 polls by foreign diplomats, she said during her visit to Milan, heads of government from different countries whose envoys in Bangladesh are raising questions about the election congratulated her for returning to power for the second consecutive time.
Many have termed the government uncontested and illegal one, while many are about to lodge a case against it, but there is no question against it at the international level, Hasina said.
Despite such allegations, the prime minister said, the speaker of the Bangladesh parliament and a member of the 10the parliament have been elected to two prestigious posts of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) and the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).
She said: “We have full support of the international community. The global leaders also do not have any objections about the January 5 poll.”
Saying that the Awami league government would ensure peace and prosperity by uprooting militancy, she said: “We want a peaceful atmosphere in the country. The Awami League will never let the country to turn into a militant one.”
“But the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is trying to ruin the atmosphere in the country.”
About BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, she said: “A Movement cannot be waged by killing the people of the country.”
The PM again trashed any possibility of holding dialogue with the BNP saying that it is impossible to hold talks with those who have killed bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and had a hand in the August 21 grenade attack.
Earlier, the prime minister alleged “foul play by vested quarters” to stop World Bank (WB) funding for the Padma bridge project.
She said the purpose was similar to violent anti-government agitations before the parliamentary election in January.
On a visit to the ministry of railways yesterday, Hasina said: “The (Padma bridge construction) cost shot up due to the inclusion of rail lines. The World Bank came forward when the cost rose.
“Later, vested interests tried to thwart the WB financing by raising various allegations like corruption.”
The Washington-based global lender suspended its $1.2 billion fund raising suspicion of corruption allegations involving high government officials. After much furore, Bangladesh withdrew its funding request in January last year and decided to bridge the Padma with domestic funds.
“It was due to some other reasons that the World Bank suspended funds, there was no corruption,” the prime minister said. “No-one could prove anything.”
Hasina went on: “The whole thing was politically motivated. This allegation was raised by a quarter with the same purpose as the BNP had when it torched vehicles or trains.
“We have thrown a challenge: we’ll construct the Padma bridge with own funds.”
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina leaves Dhaka for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) tomorrow morning, aiming to further strengthen Bangladesh’s bilateral relations with the oil-rich Gulf nation and increase manpower export.
A VVIP flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines will leave Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport carrying the Prime Minister and her entourage at around 8:30 am and is expected reach Abu Dhabi International Airport at about 11:30 am (UAE time).
During the three-day UAE tour, she would have meetings with UAE’s Mother of the Nation Sheikh Fatima, crown prince Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan and UAE foreign minister Abdullah Bin Zayed al-Nahyan in Abu Dhabi on October 26.
Hasina will also attend a community reception there.
On Monday, she will fly to Dubai to hold meeting with vice-president and prime minister of UAE and ruler of Dubai sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid al-Maktoum.
After holding the meeting, the prime minister will fly to Ras Al-Khaimah (RAK) for a meeting with its ruler sheikh Saud bin Aaqr al-Qasimi. Before that, she will attend a luncheon to be hosted by the ruler of RAK.
From there she will again fly to Dubai to catch the home-bound VVIP flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines.
According to Foreign Ministry sources in Dhaka, more than half a dozen agreements and memorandums of understanding on trade, manpower and investment are expected to be signed during the visit.
The instruments likely to be signed between Bangladesh and the UAE include a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Foreign Office consultation, MoU with a UAE outsourcing company to resume manpower export.
Besides, an agreement on repatriation of jailed people, an agreement on promotion and protection of investment, an agreement on establishing a hospital by Al-Nahyan Foundation, UAE, in Rangunia, Chittagong, an agreement on visa exemption for diplomatic and official passport holders, another MoU on co-operation in higher education and scientific research and an agreement on handing over a piece of land in Dhaka for the UAE embassy.
Meanwhile, the Cabinet on Monday approved a proposal for signing an agreement between Bangladesh and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), aiming to increase security co-operation between the two countries to control crimes.
The manpower export in the UAE has slowed down since the UAE government put restrictions on manpower import from Bangladesh in late 2012.
Efforts will also be made to attract UAE investors to potential sectors in the country as the investors of the Gulf country had shown immense interest in investing in the country’s gas pipeline, refinery, fertiliser, port development and power sector.
Besides, Dhaka would seek duty-free access for the country’s readymade garment to the UAE which imports apparel products worth $7.5bn a year from global market.
Bangladesh exported goods worth $ 245mn in 2013-2014 to the UAE against its import of $843mn. Readymade garments constituted around 78% of Bangladesh’s exports to the UAE.
The UAE is currently the fifth largest investing country in Bangladesh with $2.5bn total investment in telecommunications, banking, ceramic, chemicals and textiles, according to the Board of Investment (BoI).
According to official sources at the power, energy and mineral resources ministry, Bangladesh is likely seek the UAE’s cooperation in two projects in the power and energy sector, coal based power development and also for establishing a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal with re-gasification facilities.
Sheikh Hasina
