Jan 5 election made sea victory possible: PM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has stated that the maritime boundary victory over India would not have been possible without the Jan 5 elections.

"No one, barring the Awami League government, has ever stood up for the rights of the nation," she said on Thursday during an inspection of the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs.

"We ensured our rights over our sea. This is a great achievement. If we did not win the Jan 5 elections, I don't know if this victory would have been achieved," she said.

"There were many other governments in the past but no one took any initiative in this regard," she added.

The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in the Netherlands in a verdict last Monday awarded Bangladesh 19,467 square kilometres, or nearly four-fifths of the 25,602 sq km sea area caught up in dispute with India.

After winning a ruling in a similar case on disputed maritime boundaries with Myanmar in 2012, the Awami League government considers itself successful following the latest victory against India.

Meanwhile, the BNP has claimed that this verdict has established India’s dominance over the Bay of Bengal economic zone.

On Tuesday, former water resources minister and BNP Vice-Chairman M Hafizuddin Ahmed expressed frustration that Bangladesh had not gained control of South Talpatti Island.

The island was found to have disappeared in 2010.

Regarding this issue, the prime minister on Thursday did not take names but said, "They did nothing, but they're trying to find faults with this success.

“That gentleman should be sent to sea. Let him find that island, build a house and stay there."

Women empowerment

At the meeting at the Women and Children Affairs ministry, she also spoke about empowerment of the women.

Sheikh Hasina said, “A unique situation in our Parliament is that the Speaker, Leader of the House, the Deputy Leader and the Leader of the Opposition are all women. This is very rare in other parts of the world.”

In the Global Gender Gap 2013 report, Bangladesh was placed on seventh position on women’s political empowerment, she said.

She also mentioned her government’s many efforts including the national women development policy for the welfare and development of the women.

As a result of those initiatives, the prime minister said, participation of women in various positions in the administration, judiciary, education, health and finance management as well as in armed forces was increasing.

She emphasised on ensuring education for all women in the country, so that they can contribute in every level of the society.

Hasina also underscored different measures taken by the government for the development of the children.