Hasina says on return from New York
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday said the country which was going to be a failed state during the previous BNP regime has been turned into a role model of development after her government assumed power. She was addressing a civic reception accorded to her return home from New York after receiving the prestigious South-South Award. The reception meeting was held at the VVIP lounge of the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) on her arrival after an eight-day official visit to the USA where she attended the 68th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
The prime minister, however, urged all to be alert so that the respect earned for the country during her government’s tenure could not be tarnished by any quarter.
“Before assumption of power by us, the country was turned into a place where militancy, terrorism, corruption, acute gas and power crisis was a regular phenomena. We have been able to sort out those problems and have turned the country into a role model of development,” she said.
“Bangladesh received the award for contributing to poverty alleviation. Bangladesh has been recognised as a role model, not as a place of militancy. This prestige should be kept unharmed,” the Prime Minister added. She said during her government’s tenure “the country has always been rewarded for various achievements, like food sufficiency, nutrition development, gender equality and progress in education.”
She also reminded that her grand alliance government was working to turn the country into a middle income nation by 2021 when Bangladesh would celebrate the golden jubilee of its independence. When the developed countries are facing hurdles in keeping the pace their growth due to the global recession, her government was able to keep the economy on a sound footing by maintaining the GDP growth.
Earlier, an Emirates flight carrying the Prime Minister and members of her entourage landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) at about 5.30 pm. On way to Dhaka from New York, the Prime Minister had nearly three-hour stopover in Dubai.
Deputy Leader of the House Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury, ministers, advisers to the PM, parliament members, chiefs of the three services, the dean of the diplomatic corps, the US ambassador in Dhaka, senior leaders of Awami League and high civil and military officials were present to welcome the Prime Minister at the airport. During her stay in New York, Sheikh Hasina addressed the UNGA session seeking all-out support from the international community for the ongoing trial of the war criminals responsible for genocide, rape, arson and crimes against humanity during Bangladesh’s Liberation War in 1971.
Prime Minister Hasina also had meetings with Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, Malaysian Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib bin Tun Abdul Razak and UN secretary General Ban Ki-moon.
On the last day of her stay at the UN headquarters, the Prime Minister also addressed a press conference at the Bangladesh Permanent Mission in New York. She urged the opposition leader Khaleda Zia to come to parliament and discuss how she (Khaleda) wants the next general election to take place, and said there would be no crisis in the country if the opposition leader leaves the association of the war criminals and stands in favour of the trial.
Commonwealth Secretary General Kamalesh Sharma also called on Sheikh Hasina at her hotel on September 23. Later, she attended a reception hosted by US President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama at Waldrof Astoria Hotel.
Hasina earlier attended a programme of International Organization for South-South Cooperation (IOSSC) at its office and received the prestigious South-South award for Bangladesh’s stellar performance for poverty reduction. The following day on September 24, the Prime Minister attended a reception accorded by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and took part in opening session of the 68th UNGA at UN headquarters.
Later, she attended a high-level side event on ‘Tackling the Unfinished Business: Accelerating MDG Progress and joined UN Secretary General’s Luncheon Reception. She delivered her speech at the Special event of the President of the General Assembly to follow up on efforts made towards achieving the MDGs.
She then attended the “Global Education First Initiative (GEFI) Anniversary
Even at ECOSOC Chamber at the UN headquarters. The Prime Minister signed “Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) and Protocol on Explosive Remnants of War of Convention on Certain Chemical Weapons (CCW) at UNHQ and delivered her speech at the High Level Plenary Session on Nuclear Disarmament.
Earlier, thousands of leaders and workers of the ruling Awami League and its associate bodies, gathered on the both sides of the city streets stretching from the airport to the prime minister’s official residence Ganobhaban to greet their party chief.
Before her arrival here leaders and activists of AL from different areas of the city began to gather near the airport area.
A festive mood prevailed in the whole premises of the Airport as thousands of ruling party leaders and workers and members of civil society eagerly waited for hours to greet and welcome the premier. They carried colorful banners, posters, festoons, placards with the inscriptions greeting their leader and her government’s success stories. They also carried the portraits of the Father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and her daughter prime minister Sheikh Hasina.
The AL workers also brought out a motorbike procession to welcome their leader.
The traffic movement in the area came to a standstill due to the mounting pressure of the trucks, buses and motorcycles. Commuters suffered enormously due to the gridlock caused by the moment of thousands of AL supporters.
-With The Independent input
