PM seeks expats’ investments

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has urged the Bangladeshi expatriate in the USA to invest in their motherland taking her government’s attractive offers to draw more investments as she spoke at a press conference after a civic reception here.

“You, the Bangladeshi expatriates, alongwith the US nationals can invest in Bangladesh,” she said after being accorded the reception by the US chapter of the Awami League at LaGuardia Airport Marriot Hotel here on Friday night (BD time early Saturday).

While replying to queries of the newsmen working in New York, the Prime Minister told Bangladeshi expatriates that her government has been offering attractive stimulus packages and advantages to the investors at home and abroad.

Mentioning that as many as 100 economic zones are being set up across the country, she said Bangladeshi expatriates and the Americans can invest in Bangladesh capitalizing on the benefits offered by her government.

“The expatriates will get more advantages to this end,” she said.

“We are giving good offers to everyone. Expatriates are being provided with better facilities (in comparison to others). So, they can take the opportunity and invest in Bangladesh,” Sheikh Hasina said.

The New York Awami League and its associate bodies accorded reception to the Premier who arrived in the USA on September 19 via Helsinki to attend the 76th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

She will leave New York for Washington DC Saturday after wrapping up her weeklong official visit there.

The Prime Minister is scheduled to reach Bangladesh on October 1.

The Prime Minister said the overall development would not be ensured unless measures are taken for the welfare of the entire humankind.

   "Development without balance will not survive," she added.

  Replying to a query about what she wants from the journalists, Sheikh Hasina, also president of the Awami League, said, "Newspapers are the mirror of society. They have a responsibility to society. So, they should play a constructive role rather than making indiscriminate criticisms."

  The Prime Minister said the journalists and the newspapers would have to work for the welfare of the country and its people rather than undermining any one giving false allegations.

   Asked about the government measures to ensure food security, she said her government has given topmost priority to food production to ensure food security.

  In this regard, she said she called upon the countrymen after the Covid-19 pandemic began not to let a single inch of land uncultivated to ensure food supply not only for Bangladesh but also for other countries during the possible hardships.

   In reply to another question relating to creating enemies at home and abroad and taking risk of life raising her voice against discrimination, the Prime Minister said, "Some people have to take risks for the deprived people."

Those tarnishing country’s image are people's enemy, PM says 

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said the people who do not believe in Bangladesh’s independence were actually out to tarnish the country’s image at home and abroad by hatching conspiracies.

“They're the enemies of the country’s people,” she told a reception accorded to her by the US chapter Awami League at New York LaGuardia Airport Marriott Hotel here on Friday night (BD time early Saturday).

Joining the reception virtually, Sheikh Hasina, also the AL President, said some elements staying abroad are indulged in plots against the government to taint the country’s image at the time when her government has taken Bangladesh to a dignified position.

In this connection, the premier called upon all to remain alert so that none can play ducks and drakes with the fate of the people.

Politics is not meant for enjoyment rather it is for sacrifice, she said, adding Zia, Ershad and Khaleda Zia never thought about the welfare of the people, rather they touted power as “a means for enjoyment and making some quick bucks”.

Highlighting country's stunning development in the last one era, Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh has become a role model of uplift before the entire world due to relentless efforts of her government.

Referring to some elements who are calling the Awami League government as illegal, she said, “My question is that how they get the chance for uttering those words?"

The AL president added they are getting the scope for criticizing the Awami League by taking advantage of 'Digital Bangladesh vision' which was materialized by her government.

“If they had an ideology, they could never do that. They are basically criticizing the government after being paid by the BNP-Jamaat clique,” she continued.

In this regard, Sheikh Hasina said military dictator Ziaur Rahman and Ershad came to power by violating the country’s constitution, and the court declared their governments as illegal.

She went on saying that Khaleda Zia, the wife of Ziaur Rahman, was jailed for embezzling money of the orphans, while her son (Tarique Rahman) was convicted in the 10-truck arms haul case and the grisly August 21 grenade attack case.

The FBI of the United States had revealed the information regarding their involvement in corruption, she said.

The prime minister said the BNP even had paid money to kidnap and kill Joy (Sajeeb Ahmed Wazed) in the USA.

“But now they are calling the Awami League government illegal,” she said, adding the people of the country have voted AL to power, boycotting the BNP.

Sheikh Hasina urged the BNP to take part in the general election if they have faith in people's mandate.

She said Ziaur Rahman had first manipulated the electoral system by holding farcical “yes/no” vote while Khaleda Zia surpassed him with staging the 15th February, 1996 general election as no other political party joined it and the people did not go to the polling centres for vote.

Sheikh Hasina said the information on Khaleda Zia and her two son’s involvement in corruption were exposed in Bangladesh and the USA as well.

Her two sons -- Tarique Zia and Koko -- were convicted for siphoning money off the country while the government had already brought back a portion of it, she said.

“It is their character to lead lavish life abroad by smuggling out money,'' she added.

When the AL came to power after 1975, the people of the country first realized that the government is for serving the people and for the welfare of the people, the Prime Minister said.

“As long as Awami League remains in power, Bangladesh continues to march forward,” she said.

Sheikh Hasina mentioned two reasons of her arrival in New York by a Dreamliner of the Biman Bangladesh Airlines with the first being giving money to the state owned carrier instead of others and remaining the money at our own hand in that way.

The Prime Minister said her government is pursuing a process to resume Biman's operation on Dhaka-New York route.

Sheikh Hasina said, “A section of people are spreading falsehood that sacks or trunks with foreign currency were brought to New York by Biman aircraft”. 

The Premier asked the rumor mongers to say “where those sacks and trunks to go”.

She reminded all that Khaleda Zia went to Saudi Arabia taking 150 suitcases with full of money when she was in power and kept those by hiring lockers there.

She also said (state) minister (for home) of Khaleda Zia’s government Babar was netted with several lakhs of dollars in the USA airport and later he was released by intervention of the local Bangladesh embassy.

Those tarnishing country’s image are people's enemy, Hasina says