World more interested in Bangladesh’s progress than election, claims PM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said she found world leaders more interested in Bangladesh’s development rather than the country’s last general election.

Besides addressing the UN General Assembly (UNGA) and joining several important discussions, Hasina also had meetings with presidents and prime ministers of several countries during her recent visit to the US.

“Nobody I met – from heads of government and state to ministers – discussed Bangladesh’s ‘political crisis’ or election… Rather, everyone praised the progress Bangladesh has made,” she said, responding to a question at Sunday’s media call.

Hasina’s Awami League and its allies returned to power for a second consecutive term through the 2014 elections, boycotted by the BNP-led alliance.

The BNP has been calling for snap polls by dissolving Parliament, half of whose members have been elected unopposed.

Bangladesh enjoyed a different discourse this time, the prime minister said.

“Most of their (world leaders’) discussions were centred on how Bangladesh made such progress. Everyone was amazed by its development and wanted to know how it achieved so much,” she added.

Bangladesh’s attainment of the Millennium Development Goals has drawn worldwide praise.

The country was recently elevated to the lower-middle-income status. The Hasina-led government is now working to make Bangladesh a higher middle-income country.

Hasina said the country was playing a strong role in the UN.

“Bangladesh now leads the LDC. How did it get the leadership if there is political crisis [in the country]?” she asked.

The prime minister said other heads of state would not have invited her at many programmes if they felt there were political crisis in Bangladesh or her government was not legitimate.

Hasina co-chaired a high-level summit on “peace operations” in New York with US President Barack Obama on the sidelines of the UNGA.

“There would not have been talks of foreign investment if they had such questions in mind,” the prime minister added.

Hasina said the world leaders criticised the deaths during the BNP-Jamaat-e-Islami alliance’s three-month agitation at the beginning of this year.

She warned that a ‘certain quarter’ was trying to destabilise Bangladesh.

Bangladesh has been recognised as an ‘important global partner’ in combating militancy and terrorism, she said.

The prime minister also spoke about the 70th UNGA and Bangladesh’s achievements.

She received ITU’s ICTs in Sustainable Development Award and the UN’s highest environment honour ‘Champions of the Earth’ during the visit.

The UN adopted Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the general assembly after attaining MDGs.

Hasina had addressed the assembly in 2000 when the MDGs were adopted.

“Bangladesh has been recognised as a leading nation in achieving the MDGs,” she said. “Its role has been praised in finalising the SDGs.”

“Bangladesh’s active participation has further brightened its image in the global stage,” she added.