Home ›› 16 May 2023 ›› Front
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday said the dollar crisis is happening worldwide, not in Bangladesh only.
“There is no such crisis [in Bangladesh]. The reserves of foreign currencies were only $0.744 billion in 2006 during the BNP regime. That means less than one billion dollars. But now we have the reserves of $31.22 billion. Now there is not much reason to worry about it.
“First there was the Covid pandemic, then the Ukraine-Russia war, and then, along with the war came sanctions and counter-sanctions. As a result, inflation has spiked worldwide. Transportation and production costs have gone up. This is why the entire world is suffering from a dollar crisis.”
The prime minister made this remark replying to a question regarding the dollar crisis at a press conference arranged at her official residence Ganabhaban on the outcome of her recent three-nation visit to Japan, the United States, and the United Kingdom from April 25 to May 8.
Replying to other questions, Sheikh Hasina said the International Monetary Fund (IMF) provided a loan to Bangladesh as the country has the capacity to repay it and its economy did not get poor yet.
She blasted a section of people who do not see any good side of the government, saying that they are blind despite having eyes.
She said now the rate of extreme poverty has come down to only 5 per cent from 25 per cent in the country.
The Awami League chief said they will declare building “Smart Bangladesh” in her party’s next election manifesto.
‘Polls-time govt can include opposition MPs’
She said the next general election will be held in the country following the Westminster system of Britain.
“We follow the Westminster type democracy. We will hold the election as Britain does. Yes, we can show liberality [flexibility] that if anyone from among the MPs [parties] in parliament expresses desire to join the election-time government, we are ready to take them,” she said.
By saying so she meant the MPs from the parliamentary opposition. All the seven MPs from opposition BNP quit the legislature in December last year as part of the party’s anti-government movement.
“Now they [BNP] are not in parliament. So, there is nothing to think about them,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina said her government had shown such liberality before the 2014 national election and asked BNP leader Khaleda Zia to give her party’s representation in that election-time government, but she did not do so.
The prime minister said the government has no objection with the movement of BNP, but it will not tolerate any violence including arson.
“If they wage movement, we have no objection. But if they resort to arson violence and burn any person again, we will not spare them… They can wage movement as much as they can.”
Sheikh Hasina, also the president of Bangladesh Awami League, said she has been working for the welfare of the people. “If the people vote for her, she will stay in power, otherwise not.”
Replying to a question if any talks will be held with those who (BNP) are now waging movement on the streets against the government, the prime minister said, “What for are we going to call them to talks? Their demand is not specific as well.”
In reply to another question, she reiterated that the government will not procure anything from those who impose sanctions on Bangladesh. “We will procure nothing from those who impose sanction on us.”
She ruled out any possibility to raise the age limit of entry to government jobs.
Strategic Partnership with Japan Bangladesh’s biggest success
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh and Japan have successfully elevated the bilateral relations to a “Strategic Partnership” calling it the biggest achievement of her recent official visit to Japan.
“By this visit, the bilateral relations between Bangladesh and Japan have reached to Strategic Partnership and that is our biggest achievement,” she said about her four-day Japan visit from April 25.
From Tokyo she travelled to Washington DC and London on the second and third leg of her three-nation tour that also took her to the United States and the United Kingdom.
Sheikh Hasina expressed gratefulness to Almighty Allah for saving Bangladesh from the massive loss of life and property from the severe cyclone Mocha.
She said her government had taken adequate preparations to minimise the damage noting she herself made constant inquiries and gave various instructions.
The prime minister said while in Tokyo she held bilateral meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
Issues involving mutual interests on investment, enhanced trade relations, power and energy sector cooperation, security cooperation, and Rohingya were discussed during the talks, she added.
The prime minister said following the talks eight agreements and memoranda of understanding were signed between the two countries in presence of the two leaders.
The documents are on agriculture, metro rail, industrial upgrade, ship recycling, customs matters, intellectual properties, defence cooperation, ICT and cyber security cooperation, she added.
Sheikh Hasina also paid a curtsey call on Emperor of Japan Naruhito at the imperial palace, while she held meeting with Fumiya Kokubo, chairman, Japan-Bangladesh Committee for Commercial and Economic Cooperation.
Foreign Minister of Japan Yoshimasa Hayashi, JICA President Tanaka Akihiko, Norihico, Chairman and CEO of JETRO Ishiguro Norihico, President of Japan-Bangladesh Friendship League Taro Aso also called on Sheikh Hasina at Akasa Palace, she added.
She said she also attended the Bangladesh Investment Summit and a programme to confer the “Friends of Liberation war Honour” upon four Japanese nationals in recognition of their contribution in Bangladesh’s Liberation War in 1971.
The prime minister also joined a community reception at the Westin Tokyo, she added.
She said on the second leg of her tri-nation tour, she went to Washington DC in the United States on April 28 and attended the celebration marking 50 years of partnership between Bangladesh and the World Bank.
She held a meeting with senior executives of the US-Bangladesh Business Council as well as with President and CEO of the US Chamber of Commerce Suzanne P Clark.
Besides, the prime minister also joined a meeting with board members of the World Bank, she added.
In the meeting Sheikh Hasina called upon all international agencies including the World Bank to continue their assistance to transform Bangladesh into a “Smart Bangladesh by 2041.”
Later, the prime minister presented a painting on the Padma Bridge to the World Bank president.
During the time, Sheikh Hasina said, her government constructed the bridge with country’s own fund taking the challenges despite the World Bank withdrew its financing on false allegation of corruption.
She said a loan agreement of $2.5 billion has been signed between Bangladesh and the World Bank for implementing five projects in various sectors, including regional trade and connectivity, disaster preparedness and environmental management.
She and World Bank President David Malpass witnessed the exchanges of the financing agreement among the authorities concerned, she added.
Sheikh Hasina departed Washington for London on May 4 to attend the coronation of Charles III and his wife, Camilla, as king and queen of the United Kingdom.
The prime minister said she also joined biennial summit of the Commonwealth leaders in London. Besides, she also held bilateral meeting with UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
During the meeting, Sunak praised the economic growth of Bangladesh under her leadership.
Sheikh Hasina also held meeting with Commonwealth Secretary General Baroness Patricia Scotland.
Bhutanese King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Queen Jetsun Pema paid a courtesy call on her at the Claridge Hotel in London, she added.
The prime minister also joined a community reception in London, she added.
Sheikh Hasina said a Joint Communique was signed between Bangladesh and the UK on aviation trade and investment partnership.
