Prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday asked the Bangladeshi diplomats to pursue economic diplomacy alongside political diplomacy to give a boost to the country’s trade and commerce.
‘The duty of diplomatic missions has changed in today’s world. Now economic diplomacy has surfaced alongside the political one. We have to pursue diplomacy in such a way that we can boost up the country’s trade and commerce and achieve economic self-dependency by working together with all,’ she said.
She simultaneously stressed the need for working in unison to maintain peace on the globe.
The prime minister made the remarks while addressing a commemorative meeting virtually marking the 46th anniversary of delivering maiden speech in Bangla by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in the United Nations General Assembly.
She also inaugurated the newly constructed Foreign Service Academy building and unveiled cover of two books: ‘Bangabandhu, Sheikh Hasina, and the United Nations: Bangladesh at the World Stage’ and ‘Bangagandhu: The People’s Hero’ published by the foreign ministry, at the same function.
Turning to the COVID-19 pandemic, she said, ‘I wish the world will get relief from the coronavirus pandemic and the wheels of the economy will again start functioning and thus all can live their normal life. And for that reason the entire world should work together.’
Two audio-visual presentations were screened on Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s maiden speech in the UNGA delivered in Bangla and Bangabandhu’s first office in Sugandha depicting the early days of the government of Bangladesh as a nascent state was also made at the function.
The prime minister said, ‘It was a great success for us to acquire membership in the United Nations. Not only that, Bangladesh had also achieved recognition from 126 countries and all the international organisations including OIC and Commonwealth during the regime of Bangabandhu.’
Mentioning that Bangladesh wants to maintain peace in the world, Sheikh Hasina said the country’s armed forces and police have been deployed in the UN peacekeeping missions in many troubled countries and they played a significant role in restoring peace there.
Regarding facing natural calamities due to geographical location, she said Bangladesh is a small area of 54,000sq miles with a huge population and it has to face natural disasters like flood, cyclone and tidal surge regularly alongside manmade disasters.
The government has considered its huge population as resources as Bangladesh doesn’t have many resources, she continued.❐
