PM hopeful of middle-income status by 2021
UNB
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday hoped that Bangladesh will be able to reach to its desired goal of being a middle-income country by 2021 and a developed one by 2041 with support from China and other friendly countries, reports UNB.
The Prime Minister said this when a six-member delegation led by Chen Fengxiang, vice minister of China Communist Party (CCP) on International Department, met her at her office.
Extending her thanks to Chinese government and its friendly people for standing beside Bangladesh it its development efforts, Sheikh Hasina said she is eagerly waiting for the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Bangladesh. PMs Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed reporters after the meeting.
Sheikh Hasina thanked China for providing support for the construction of a proposed multilane road tunnel project under the Karnaphuli River saying China has made enormous contributions to Bangladeshs economic development.
The Prime Minister told the Chinese delegation that Bangladesh has already attained food security, and highlighted various programmes taken for achieving rapid progress.
She also mentioned free distribution of textbooks among students up to secondary level and providing better healthcare services to rural people. Bangladesh is a small country with huge population.
Now Bangladeshs main task is to eradicate poverty, Hasina said. She also reiterated her governments firm commitment of zero tolerance against terrorism.
Laying importance on strengthening cooperation between the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and Bangladesh Awami League, the Prime Minister, also the president of the Awami League, said the visit of a delegation of Awami League in last May was very successful. More such visits will take place in future as the visit led by Awami League general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam boosted party-to-party relations and cooperation in sharing experience.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed her satisfaction over the existing relations with China both at the state and party levels and hoped the ties will be strengthened further in the coming days.
Vice minister Chen conveyed the warm greetings of CCP General Secretary and Chinese President Xi Jinping and Chinese premier Li Keqiang to Sheikh Hasina.
He said the Chinese government is very happy for the fact that Sheikh Hasina visited China in 1993 as the leader of the opposition and made her first foreign trip to China as Prime Minister after assuming office in 1996. Chen Fengxiang highly appreciated the leadership of Sheikh Hasina saying the living standards of Bangladeshi people is improving and Bangladesh economy is progressing under her able leadership.
The vice minister invited PMs ICT advisor Sajeeb Wajed Joy to visit China to have experience in Chinese development in IT sector.
PMs Adviser on International Affairs Gowher Rijvi, International Affairs Secretary of Bangladesh Awami League Faruk Khan, MP and PMO secretary Suraiya Begum were present.
