UK Minister for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs Jim Fitzpatrick calls on PM Sheikh Hasina

March 14,2010

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today said Bangladesh as the most vulnerable country of climate change needs huge financial support from international community for its adaptation and mitigation programmes to cope with the changing environment. "Adaptation, technology transfer and capacity building programmes of the Most Vulnerable Countries (MVCs) should get priority to tackle the consequences of global warming, she said when the visiting UK Minister for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Jim Fitzpatrick paid a courtesy call on her at the PM office here. During the meeting, various bilateral matters, climate change issues and Bangladesh's food production and food processing prominently came up in the discussion. The Prime Minister apprised the British Minister of her government's adaptation plans in managing disasters, adapting agriculture, ensuring food security, dredging major rivers, building embankments, reclaiming land, creating green belts and developing coastal forest. In this context, she said her government adopted "Bangladesh Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan 2009" and the National Adaptation Programme of Action (NAPA) and Climate Change Trust Fund to this end. The UK Minister appreciated Sheikh Hasina for her visionary leadership and role in tackling the climate change issues and her courageous decisions to run her democratic government. Sheikh Hasina said her government has been implementing elaborate programmes to further enhancing democracy and good governance in Bangladesh. Special emphasis is being given to promote parliamentary democratic system in the country while consolidating activities of the socio-economic institutions, she added. The Prime Minister said her government has taken steps to establish strong local government institutions at various levels through active participation of the elected representatives in the administration as well as development activities.

March 14,2010

Awami League yesterday accepted the challenge of the chief whip of the opposition and BNP leader Zainal Abdin Farroque regarding his allegation that prime minister's son Sajeeb Wazed Joy was involved in illegal VOIP business . "Make public whatever evidences and documents you have against Sajeeb Wazed Joy. Otherwise, all the legal and political measures will be taken for spreading the falsehood," said whip of the Jatiya Sangsad and Awami League central leader Mirza Azam, MP, pointing at the chief whip of the opposition while addressing a press conference at the political office of party president Sheikh Hasina at Dhanmondi in the city yesterday. Reading out a written press statement on behalf of the Awami League, he alleged that the BNP had resorted to propaganda against Sajib Wazed Joy, who have been groomed with modern education and has a clean image, to cover up the worn out politics being pursued by the BNP and the dirty faces of Tarique-Coco. "The young generation of Bangladesh wants to build a country that will be equipped with digital technology following the footsteps of a modern man like Sajeeb Wazed Joy. But, the new generation hates corrupt persons like Tarique and Coco (both sons of BNP chairperson and the opposition leader Khaleda Zia). The young generation also wants trial of the corrupt persons in the people's court to build a Bangladesh free from corruption," said a written statement. A call was given from the press conference to reject such 'nefarious politics' of the BNP for building a happy, prosperous and modern country. In the statement, Mirza Azam termed the allegation of the chief whip of the opposition as completely baseless, fabricated, and brought against Joy with narrow political motive. Strongly condemning such allegation of the opposition chief whip, he said Sajeeb Wazed Joy is the role model of millions of youngsters as they want to lead honest and modern life getting higher education like him. Mirza Azam added that when, as an information technologist, Joy was extending his hands of cooperation and technical know-how to build a digital Bangladesh to face the challenges of the 21st century, the BNP resorted to falsehood against him in a motivated and planned way.

March 14,2010

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed her profound shock and sorrows at the death of language hero, veteran journalist and diplomat KG Mustafa. In message of condolence, she said KG Mostafa, who was close associate of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, worked relentlessly during his entire life for the overall welfare of the Bengali nation. "He (KG Mostafa) did not bow his head with injustice in his life. He also played a very pioneering role in the movement for bread and butter of journalist community," Sheikh Hasina also the President of Bangladesh Awami League said. She said KG Mostafa was in self-exile for long protesting the brutal assassination of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman when he was the Bangladesh Ambassador to Iraq. "The country has lost a progressive cultural personality and journalist who used to possess secular and democratic values," she added. The Prime Minister expressed sympathy to the members of the bereaved family, his well-wishers and colleagues and prayed for peace of the departed soul.