The prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, has said the people will settle the question who will govern the country.
She made the remark when a nine-member joint delegation led by Birk Niebel, economic cooperation and development minister of Germany, and Andris Piebalgs, European commissioner for development, called on her at the Prime Minister's Office Tuesday morning.
Hasina said she and her party always believe in people's welfare and reiterated her government's strong commitment to root out corruption and militancy from Bangladesh.
She said the government would never allow using the soil of Bangladesh for terrorist activities.
'We won't allow any evil forces to use even an inch of our land for terrorism and militancy,' the prime minister was quoted by her press secretary Abul Kalam Azad as saying.
Hasina said she had narrowly escaped many terrorist attacks on her life. 'Nothing can keep me from working for the people's economic emancipation. I've dedicated my life for the wellbeing of the people. I work only for them.'
She mentioned that during the last BNP-Jamaat alliance, 'Bangladesh was known to the international community as a country of militancy and corruption.'
After taking office, the present government through hectic efforts has been able to free the nation from such a stigma, the premier said.
As the European ministers praised her leadership, the prime minister said the government was working to ensure national food security and protect the nation from the disastrous impacts of the climate change.
She informed the European delegation of the government activities to dredge the rivers in the country to restore their navigability.
On development activities, Hasina said the European Union and its member countries could provide funds to the Bangladesh government for launching integrated programmes for the development of the Chittagong Hill Tracts.
She told the delegation about the establishment of Asian University for Women in Chittagong and the plan on setting up a full-fledged university in Rangamati for ensuring higher education facilities for the hill tracts people.
The premier also informed the delegation of the various facilities provided by the government for flourishing the private sector in the country. She mentioned the spectacular progress made by private television channels and mobile phone companies in the country during her previous rule.
Describing the European Union as a tested friend of the country, she said Bangladesh would remember the European Union's support to restore democracy through the December 29, 2009 elections in free, fair and acceptable manner.
Hasina observed that Bangladesh could not be developed at the desired level as democracy here was not allowed to function uninterruptedly by the military and unconstitutional rulers after the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on August 15 in 1975.
Ambassador at-large M Ziauddin, PM's press secretary Abul Kalam Azad and German ambassador in Dhaka Holger Michael were present.
Source : New Age
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