Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday expressed her optimism that both sides would be able to devise ways to ensure safe, regular, inexpensive, and orderly employment of Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia.
“The Prime Minister gave assurance of her government to send Bangladeshi workers to Malaysia maintaining all necessary protocols, including vaccination and other formalities,” said a release of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) press wing.
She made the remarks when visiting Malaysian Minister of Human Resources Datuk Seri M. Saravanan paid a courtesy call on her at her official Ganabhaban residence here.
Sheikh Hasina expressed deep satisfaction over the holding of the first meeting of the Joint Working Group under the auspices of the MoU on the employment of workers signed in December 2021 between the two countries.
The premier appreciated the decision of the Malaysian government to recruit Bangladeshi security personnel for non-military civilian use.
After the exchange of pleasantries, the Prime Minister welcomed the visiting Malaysian minister to Bangladesh in the year of the golden jubilee of diplomatic ties between the two countries.
She noted that the relationship stands on a solid base since Malaysia recognized Bangladesh immediately after its independence.
During the meeting, the Malaysian minister too expressed his satisfaction over holding of the ongoing Joint Working Group meeting.
He appraised the Bangladeshi premier about reorganization of their Human Resource Ministry from the Ministry of Home Affairs and their domestic employment process following the ILO guidelines.
“We have taken 5-Year Action Plan for the Migrant Workers,” he said. To this end, he mentioned, they have already increased the minimum wage to RM 1500.
Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud on Thursday said BNP has proved that Ziaur Rahman was involved in the assassination of Bangabandhu in 1975 and the party admitted it by chanting the slogan of ‘Pochatthorer Hatiar’ (weapons of 75) after gathering terrorists and non-students in Dhaka University.
“In fact, BNP leader Begum Khaleda Zia, fugitive acting chairman Tarique Rahman and Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir have gone mad as the Padma Bridge has been constructed with country’s own fund. Criticisms are going on against them in social platforms and they feel ashamed,” he said.
For this, the minister said, they are trying to create such a situation which will destroy the prevailing happiness and enthusiasm among the people centering the inauguration of the bridge.
Hasan stated these while addressing a rally organized by Awami Jubo Mohila League (AJML) protesting the threat to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s life.
Awami League organizing secretary Ahmed Hossain and other leaders addressed the rally with AJML Nazma Akther in the chair. Its general secretary Apu Ukil conducted the programme.
Hasan said the leaders and activists of Jubo Mahila League are enough to resist the BNP-Jamaat.
The minister urged all to remain alert against all ill efforts of BNP and Jamaat so that none could carry out violence and arson attacks like in 2013, 2014 and 2015.
The leaders and activists of Awami League will remain on the streets to resist all ill-efforts and conspiracies, said Hasan, also Awami League joint general secretary.
In the rally, AL Presidium Member Jahangir Kabir Nanak said BNP and Jamaat which created anarchy in the country have started hatching conspiracies again. They do politics of killing and want to create instability in the country, he added.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday said Bangladesh has constructed the Padma Bridge with own financing as her government had taken this challenge to brighten image of the country.
“We’ve done it by the grace of Allah. InshaAllah, we will inaugurate the Padma Bridge on June 25,” she said while speaking at a meeting of Awami League (AL) Advisory Council. The meeting was held at her official residence Ganabhaban.
Sheikh Hasina said it hurts her heart when any slander is hurled against the country and that is why she had taken the challenge to build the much-cherished Padma Bridge with own funds when World Bank went away from financing the project for alleged corruption.
Mentioning that honesty has a different type of power, she said, “I’ve taken this challenge with that power of honest… And I have got the whole hearted support of the country’s people. For this reason, I have been able to construct the Padma Bridge.”
The Prime Minister said that a Canadian court declared all the allegations regarding this project false and baseless.
In this connection, she mentioned that Dr Muahmmad Yunus, just for a post of Managing Director of Grameen Bank, carried out the conspiracy.
“He (Yunus) illegally stayed in the post of Managing Director of Grameen Bank at the age of 71. He lodged a case regarding the matter and lost,” she added.
She further said that World Bank cancelled the funding to the project on his (Dr Yunus) request, and later the Awami League government constructed the Bridge with the country’s own resources that has brightened the image of the country.
Sheikh Hasina expressed satisfaction as her party, the ruling Awami League, has been able to fulfill its election pledges to the people.
Awami League never forgets its election pledge after forming the government, said the party chief.
She added, “Every time, while preparing the budget, we evaluate how much progress we have made to implement the election pledges.”
While preparing the budget, she said, the Awami League government considers how to implement the unfinished election pledges.
She said that her government is pulling the country ahead using the modern technology through development from the grassroots level.
Recalling the horrible days the people faced after the killing of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on August 15, 1975 , the premier said the power was not in the hands of the mass people.
The ‘Mitali Express’, the third India-Bangladesh train service, on Wednesday formally began operations between New Jalpaiguri in India’s West Bengal and Dhaka Cantonment station in Bangladesh.
Bangladesh Railway Minister Nurul Islam Sujan and his Indian counterpart Ashwini Vaishnav jointly flagged off the rail service in a virtual format from the Rail Bhaban, headquarter of Indian Railway ministry here.
Bangladesh High Commissioner to India Muhammad Imran and senior officials of railway ministries of both the countries, among others, were present during the flagging off ceremony.
Sources said the train will take nine hours to travel 513 kilometres between New Jalpaiguri and Dhaka Cantonment station. It will be operated by a diesel engine and will have four air-conditioned cabin coaches and four air-conditioned chair cars.
During its return journey, Dhaka Cantonment - New Jalpaiguri Mitali Express will also run two days a week- on Monday and Thursday, which will leave Dhaka Cantonment at 21:50 hours (BST).
The other two Indo-Bangladesh passenger trains - Maitree Express and Bandhan Express, whose operations were disrupted due to Covid-19 restrictions, resumed their services on May 29.
Maitree Express, which began service in 2008, is the first train to run between the two countries since the British partitioned India in 1947. Bandhan Express began service later that year.