Working to ensure better life for people, PM tells EU team

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday said the aim of her government is to ensure a peaceful situation in the country where they will live in happiness.

"Our government's aim is to ensure a better life for people where they could live in peace and happiness," she said when a delegation of the EU Parliament met her at her official residence Ganobahban.

PM's press secretary Ihsanul Karin briefed reporters after the meeting.

During the meeting, the delegation members termed Sheikh Hasina as "an example for women empowerment".

In response to their appreciation, the Prime Minister said, "As the government has taken numerous programmes for their empowerment, the  women of the country are now participating in every field along with their male counterparts and getting their due shares. Women are doing very well in every sector."

She also mentioned that the government has made it mandatory to recruit 60 percent women as primary school teachers.

Talking about the existing excellent communal harmony in the country, Sheikh Hasina said the people of all religions are living in Bangladesh maintaining their peaceful coexistence.

A section of people, the Prime Minister mentioned, had tried to create disturbance to hamper the communal harmony in the country. "But, this section of people could not succeed due to the zero-tolerance policy of the government.”
Hasina  said the 1.1 million Rohingya people who came from Myanmar is a great burden for Bangladesh as the country already has got 160 million people in its small piece of land.

About the election process, she said, the government has ensured transparent ballot box and a voter list with photographs.

Regarding the relation with neighbouring countries, Hasina said Bangladesh has good ties with its neighbours, including India, China and Pakistan as the government follows Bangabandhu's foreign policy  'friendship to all, malice to none'.  
“We also have diplomatic ties with Pakistan though we attained independence from it. India and China are our development partners, they are investing in Bangladesh to help up us develop the country," she said.

The Prime Minister said that the EU is the biggest destination of Bangladeshi readymade garments and recalled that the EU granted quota free access of Bangladeshi RMG during the 1996-2001rule. "Many EU countries are now investing in Bangladesh," she said.

She appreciated the EU for their continuous support towards Bangladesh for continuing democratic process.

Ryszard Czarnecki, ElinaTheocharous, ChristelleLetard, NikolayBarekov, Agnicszka Scigaj, Henri Malosse, Madhu Sharma, Guillaume Pradoura and Hazel Lincy Ebenezer were members of the delegation.

Source: unb