PM seeks more German support

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has sought greater cooperation from the German government, its people and politicians for Bangladesh's development.

Hasina expressed this wish when a five-member visiting German parliamentary team called on her at her office on Tuesday.

Chairperson of the Committee on Economic Cooperation and Development of the German Parliament Ms Dagmar G Wohrl led the team.

Prime Minister's Special Assistant Mahbubul Haque Shakil told reporters Hasina had sought greater German investments in Bangladesh's key sectors.

"Our government has been working relentlessly to ensure better life for the people by trying to turn Bangladesh into a middle income country by 2021. So, we seek more support of the German government, people and the politicians," Haque quoted her as having told the German team.

Hasina said that her government was striving to build a Bangladesh free of poverty, hunger, illiteracy, militancy and terrorism.

She said her government had ensured food security and cut poverty to below 26 percent from 40 percent through a massive expansion of social safety net programmes.

Hasina said her previous government had encountered the effects of global economic slowdown.

"We have been able to put the country's on a solid foundation in spite of that," she said.

German parliamentary delegation leader Dagmar G Wohrl said that there was a long-lasting partnership between Bangladesh and Germany in socio-economic and political fields.

She also assured German support to overcome challenges in fulfilling the goal of the Bangladesh government to turn the country into a middle income one by 2021.

Dagmar G Wohrl also appreciated Bangladesh's success in achieving MDGs.

Referring to the current friendly relations between the two countries, Hasina recalled the German help in rebuilding the war-ravaged country under the leadership of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

She also recalled her days in Germany with her husband, eminent nuclear scientist Dr M Wazed Mian, after the brutal assassination of Bangabandhu on August 15, 1975 along with most members of his family.

Wazed Mian was then doing a research in Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) in Germany.

"I have an emotional relation with Germany," she said.

Prime Minister’s Media Advisor Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, Ambassador-At-Large M Ziauddin and Principal Secretary Abdus Sobhan Sikdar were present at the meeting, among others.