Hasina congratulates Sri Lankan PM Wickremesinghe

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has congratulated her new Sri Lankan counterpart Ranil Wickremesinghe and hoped to work together for strengthening bilateral ties and promoting “peace, progress and prosperity” in the region.

Senior Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 21 August 2015, 02:59 PM
Updated : 21 August 2015, 03:26 PM

In a message, she also invited the Sri Lankan prime minister to Bangladesh at his convenience, her office said.

Wickremesinghe was sworn in on Friday following the victory of his alliance in the Aug 17 general election.

Hasina said the people had through this election given him “the mandate to carry forward the reforms that your government initiated after the historic political transition of Sri Lanka in January this year”.

The current Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena began reforms in January after defeating former president Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Wickremesinghe agreed with President Sirisena's party to form a national unity government to push ahead with reforms.

A lawmaker since 1977, he has served twice before – in 1993-94 and from 2001-04 – as prime minister, a position second to the president in Sri Lanka.

Hasina said his “distinguished” political career and “experience” in leading the government would be of “immense use in attaining your vision of creating a ‘new country in 60 months’”.

She said that vision would see “accelerated economic growth in an atmosphere of good governance”.

She wished his continued success and good health.

“Bangladesh profoundly values its friendly relations with Sri Lanka that are based on commonalities of history, culture and traditions,” Hasina said in her message.