- Wednesday, November 27, 2024
Prime minister Rishi Sunak and his predecessor Tony Blair praised the South Asian leader over Bangladesh’s economic rise.
By: Shubham Ghosh
Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina has concluded her 15-day trip to Japan, the US and the UK seeking international observers to monitor elections in her country in January next year to ensure they are fair.
On Sunday (7), Commonwealth secretary-general Patricia Scotland paid Hasina a courtesy visit during which the latter called for diversified election observers to oversee the upcoming general polls in the South Asian nation which completed 50 years of independence in 2021.
Scotland reportedly showed eagerness to help Bangladesh hold fair, peaceful and corruption-free polls and she accepted the invitation and offered to train poll officials at the grassroots level, as it has been done previously.
Former British prime minister Tony Blair also showered praise on Hasina, 75, over her leadership under which Bangladesh has made remarkable economic advancement. The duo met in London and the former premier said he wished to continue helping Bangladesh in reaching greater heights in various sectors.
“The current economy of Bangladesh is very attractive, and Bangladesh is doing very well economically,” Blair said.
He also told the Bangladeshi prime minister that he believed his good standing with Middle Eastern countries could help broker Gulf Cooperation Council-Bangladesh commercial accords.
British prime minister Rishi Sunak also praised his Bangladeshi counterpart calling her a “successful economic leader”.
“I’ve been following you for many years. You’re a successful economic leader,” Rishi Sunak told his Bangladesh counterpart, according to Bangladeshi high commissioner to the UK Saida Muna Tasneem. She said Sunak also told Hasina she is a “role model for development” and “an inspiration for us”.
Hasina thanked Sunak for lauding her efforts in favour of human rights and homelessness, her success in maintaining six per cent economic growth despite the pandemic, and for providing shelter to hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees who fled the neighbouring Myanmar. The Bangladeshi PM also thanked Sunak for the UK’s support of the Rohingya plight, which she invited Sunak to see firsthand.
The UK and Bangladesh have shared a robust bilateral relationship since 1972. The UK was among the first European countries to recognise Bangladesh’s independence. The countries have since enjoyed beneficial relations, further strengthened in 2017.
Bangladesh’s top five export destinations in 2022 were the US ($8.7 billion), Germany ($8.3b), Spain ($3.6b), the UK ($3.29b), and Poland ($2.94b), according to a The Observatory of Economic Complexity report.
On Saturday (6), Tasneem said, “All the heads of state and government who have spoken to Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina showed appreciation for her continued leadership and the remarkable economic growth of Bangladesh under her leadership.”
Hasina attended the coronation ceremony of King Charles III last Saturday where she met the leaders of various nations such as Rwanda, Egypt, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Namibia, among others.
Before reaching the UK, Hasina was in the US where she met leaders of the World Bank and top officials of the Joe Biden administration.
They praised her for her willingness to host international observers during the upcoming general elections.
The US under secretary of state for political affairs, Victoria Nuland, met Bangladeshi foreign secretary Ambassador Masud Bin Momen. Nuland reiterated the importance of “free and fair” elections in the South Asian nation.
“As we deepen US-Bangladesh ties, I met Foreign Secretary Momen and reiterated the US commitment to promoting human rights and democratic values, including free and fair elections. We thank Bangladesh for its generosity in hosting Rohingya refugees,” Nuland said.
Prior to that, Hasina met top World Bank officials at their headquarters in the US capital to attend an event marking 50 years of partnership between Bangladesh and the multilateral lender.
That day, Bangladesh and the World Bank also signed five loan agreements worth $2.25 billion, including a $500 million budget support.
Also, in Washington, Hasina met with the US-Bangladesh Business Council (USBBC) with a focus on US-Bangladesh Economic Cooperation.
“Bangladesh is one of the most exciting markets in the world right now and one of the most inspiring development stories of the past two decades,” said USBBC President Atul Keshap. He is also the president of the US-India Business Council.
Hasina’s tour started with a visit to Japan where the two countries inked eight major agreements on agriculture, metro railway, industrial upgrade, ship recycling, customs matters, intellectual properties, defense cooperation, ICT and cyber security cooperation.
