DT e-Paper 29 March 2017

4
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2017
DT
News
British PM looks
forward to meeting
Sheikh Hasina
Sheikh Hasina shares a page of the recently released book, ‘Karagarer Rojnamcha,’ the second autobiography of Father of the Nation
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, at its launch organised by Bangla Academy in Bangladesh Krishibid Institution at Khamar Bari in
Farmgate yesterday
BSS
• Syed Zainul Abedin
British Prime Minister Theresa
May has expressed an interest
in holding her first official
meeting with her Bangladeshi
counterpart Prime Minister
Sheikh Hasina.
In a letter, May acknowledged
the strong and growing
relationship between Bangladesh
and the United Kingdom.
Permanent Under-Secretary
at the British Foreign
and Commonwealth Office Sir
Simon McDonald confirmed
this to reporters after signing a
MoU yesterday morning.
Simon said: “We are celebrating
45 years of diplomatic
relations with our first strategic
dialogue which I am very
happy to conduct with my
honourable opposite number.”
The British diplomat with
his Bangladeshi counterpart,
Foreign Secretary of the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs Shahidul
Haque, held their first
ever strategic dialogue at the
Padma State Guest House in
Dhaka with a view to strengthening
bilateral relations and
taking them to the next level.
Acknowledging the importance
of historic relations with
Bangladesh beyond Europe,
Simon said the UK wants a
better relationship with Bangladesh
in the future outside of
the EU.
When asked about global
terrorism, he said: “This is a
priority issue for both governments.
We work closely.”
They discussed preparations
for the Commonwealth
Summit to be held next year.
Various issues were discussed
at the meeting, including
sustainable development
goals, airport security, Rohingya
issue, economic cooperation,
post-Brexit impacts,
security cooperation, and
combating militancy and visa
issues, according to a foreign
ministry source. •
60 British MPs laud
country’s progress
• Tribune Desk
Some 60 members of the British
Parliament have lauded
Bangladesh’s ongoing development
efforts under Prime
Minister Sheikh Hasina, said
a press statement released by
Bangladesh High Commission
London yesterday.
Bangladesh has made significant
progress and they
would stand by this South
Asian country in its efforts to
improve the lives of its people,
the MPs said in a March
27 event at the Palace of Westminster’s
Terrace Pavilion,
stated the press release.
UK Awami League’s President
Sultan Mahmud Shariff
and General Secretary Syed
Shazidur Rahman Faruk confirmed
that nearly 60 MPs had
joined the event to observe
Bangladesh’s 47th Independence
Day and National Day.
Chief guest State Minister
for Foreign Affairs Shahriar
Alam, MP, thanked the British
lawmakers for joining the celebration
organised by UK Awami
League.
He said that Bangladesh,
“under the leadership of
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina,
has made significant progress
in social and economic areas,
and is very much on the road
to becoming a middle-income
country by 2021.”
“We need the continued
support and assistance of the
UK government and private
bodies in our journey” to fulfil
the goal of Bangladesh becoming
Sonar Bangla, he added.
Bangladeshi-British MPs
Tulip Siddiq, Rupa Huq and
Rushna Ali, among others,
made brief speeches. Bangladesh
High Commissioner to
UK Md Nazmul Quaunine also
addressed the guests.
State Minister Shahriar
Alam and the MPs condemned
the terrorist acts that have taken
place across the globe, especially
the attacks in Britain
and Bangladesh.
Labour Party MP Tulip
Siddiq, also Bangabandhu
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s
granddaughter, said everyone
should be alert against acts of
terrorism.
“Terrorists do not represent
Islam or Muslims, but resort
to violence to fulfil their own
needs,” she said. •