Foreign guests meet PM Hasina with ‘songs of praise’

The members of the foreign delegations who have came to Dhaka to attend ruling Awami League's 20th National Council have 'highly' praised Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's leadership in fighting terrorism and militancy, poverty alleviation and women empowerment.

They also hailed Bangladesh's success in social safety net programmes, food security, enhanced connectivity with neigbouring countries during a meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at Ganabhaban on Saturday evening at the end of the first day of the two-day council, Prime Minister's Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim told reporters.

Talking about terrorism and militancy, Hasina reiterated her government's "zero tolerance policy" against these menaces.

She credited the involvement of the people, including guardians, teachers and religious leaders in the fight against terrorism and militancy for the 'success', Karim said.

According to the press secretary, the prime minister regretted that someone from the cantonment suddenly captured power violating the army rules and the Constitution, and had declared himself as the president time and again driving democracy out of the country.

But the Awami League is a political party of the masses and it has been working for the development of the country and welfare of the people, she added.

She also said it was 'very unfortunate' that Awami League has to compete with 'such elements' that were involved in usurping power illegally violating Constitution.

When the Rampal power plant issue was raised, the prime minister argued that the coal-based power plant at Rampal would be a modern plant where most sophisticated and latest technologies would be used.

"We are very much careful about environment and the plant would not cause any harm to the Sundarbans and environment of the adjacent areas," Karim quoted her as saying.

Public Administration Minister and Awami League General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam, State Minister for Foreign Affairs M Shahriar Alam, Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Foreign Ministry Dr Dipu Moni, International Affairs Secretary of Awami League Muhammad Faruk Khan, among others, were present at the meeting.

Earlier, a delegation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led by its Vice President Binay Prabhakar Sahasrabidhe also called on the prime minister.

Karim said the BJP team showed interest in the activities of Centre for Research and Information (CRI), the research wing of Bangladesh Awami League. They sought cooperation between the CRI and the BJP research cell.

At least 55 political leaders from China, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Russia, Australia, the UK, Bhutan, and Italy are in Dhaka to attend the council

They include  Vice-Minister of the International Department of the Chinese Communist Party Zheng Xiaosong, West Bengal’s Education Minister Partha Chatterjee from Trinamool Congress, and Biman Basu of Communist Party of India (Marxist), Dr Ram Sharma Mahat from Nepal, Sri Lankan Religious Affairs Minister AH Mohamad Hasheem, and Bhutan’s Minister of Information and Communications Dina Nath Dungyel.