Japan, the largest bilateral donor to Bangladesh, suggested on Monday that the country should choose its core industry after RMG, strengthen social infrastructure and investment in sectors like transportation, stop the brain-drain and consider coal as an alternative fuel in its efforts to graduate from a position of dependence on foreign aid.

STOP
BRAIN-DRAIN !!

“After World War II, Japan was an aid recipient country…Japan would be really happy to see Bangladesh’s graduation from foreign aid-dependence, achieving further prosperity with a poverty-free society in the near future,” Japanese Ambassador Tamotsu Shinotsuka told a seminar on “Contribution of Japan for Development of Bangladesh.”

JICA Chief Representative Takao Toda, JETRO Representative Takashi Suzuki, former Vice-Chancellor of BUET Prof Dr. Anwarul Azim and Chairman of Bangladesh-Japan Friendship Association Aminul Islam Khan Bulbul also spoke at the seminar held at the National Press Club.

Explaining his 5-point suggestion, the Ambassador felt that more skilled workers are needed in Bangladesh to achieve further industrialization. He said vocational training and secondary education should be prioritized to enhance quality education in Maths and Science subjects in primary schools being conducted by JICA.

On his second point, Shinotsuka said the Bangladesh government should make a bold decision in choosing the core industries after huge success in RMG. “Moreover, once the policy is set, it should be pursued consistently even when the government changes. It has remained as a major problem in Bangladesh,” he observed.

Citing examples from Japan, the Ambassador said investment is needed in basic infrastructure like transportation, telecommunications and industrial equipment He said the effect of investment in infrastructure on economic development is very telling, as infrastructure strengthens business opportunities by increasing efficiency in production and transportation.

Stressing the need for talented workers, he said both Japan and Bangladesh have been developed on the strength of labor-intensive industries, and only skilled and talented workers ensure further development For Bangladesh, he said nurturing more labor-intensive industries could be the engine for massive economic growth.

Once again referring to China, the Ambassador hoped young and talented Bangladeshis abroad would come back in the future to contribute to the prosperity of their own nation.

On current scarcity of gas and electricity as a major concern for Bangladesh, he said that in Bangladesh, coal could be considered as an alternative energy fuel alongside hydropower. However, he said cooperation with India and other neighboring countries would be important in this respect

On bilateral trade and investment, the Ambassador said that though Bangladesh’s exports to Japan have been increasing after 2001, if Bangladeshi products cannot meet the requisite quality expected by Japanese consumers, its exports to Japan would not keep increasing.

Bangladesh’s annual imports from Japan are worth around USD 550 to USD 690 million, while exports amount to around USD 96-150 million only.

Around 75 percent of Bangladeshi exports go to the US, Canada and European countries, whereas exports to Japan accounted for only 1.4 percent of Bangladesh’s total exports in 2008.

Shinotsuka said Chinese companies made strenuous efforts to meet the standards of the Japanese market Nevertheless, he noted, as the labor cost of Chinese products has increased in recent years and Chinese companies seem to be losing their competitive advantage in the RMG sector, Bangladesh has an opportunity to take advantage of this trend.

Calling for the instilment of an investment-friendly environment here, the Ambassador hoped that the government would prioritize improving the business environment, so businesses could successfully nurture competitiveness of export products.

The overall sum of Japanese investment in Bangladesh registered with the Board of Investment is USD 1,207 million on a cumulative basis, which is the 6th largest overseas investment in the country. Besides that, the overall sum of Japanese investment in BEPZA is USD 171 million.

On Japan’s official development assistance (ODA) to Bangladesh, the Ambassador said the Japanese government has this year pledged a new Yen Loan Package of US$ 433 million to Bangladesh. The package includes four concrete projects relating to construction of a new power plant, improvement of electricity distribution in rural areas, improvement of roads and bridges in the South-West region of the country and construction of part of a ring road in Chitagong.

“One of the fundamental principles of Japan’s development cooperation is to support the ownership and self-help efforts of Bangladesh,” the Ambassador said, adding that his country will continue to lend Bangladesh support with the aim of implementing Bangladesh’s Poverty Reduction Strategy and achieving the Millenium Development Goals.

US showing concentration with Bangladesh betterment .The US yesterday unveiled a $210mn plan for helping Bangladesh ensure food security.
US Ambassador James F Moriarty unveiled the plan at a seminar on food security, organised by the ‘local government’ division of the Local Government and Rural Development (LGRD) Ministry and the USAID in Dhaka.
US President Barrack Obama last year committed $1bn annual fund to address global hunger and food security. USAID will launch the $210mn programme in Bangladesh from this fund.
Under this plan, USAID will channel the fund to ensure adequate food supply to the ultra-poor and vulnerable group of the society.
LGRD Minister Syed Ashraful Islam, Food and Disaster Management Minister Dr Abdur Razzak also addressed the seminar.
Referring to different programmes for food security, Syed Ashraf said those programmes had already started enhancing food security.
He, however, suggested non-government organisations (NGOs) to contribute more to strengthen the social safety net and development initiatives of the present government.
Dr Razzak also emphasized the government social safety net programme, which had already increased food allocation for the poor.
The Food Minister, however, raised concern over the impact of climate change on food production and sought more funds from the development partners to address the issue.
James F Moriarty said his government would also increase its investment in agriculture and health sectors besides the fund for food security.
He lauded Bangladesh’s progress in improving the food security for the people, but cautioned about some external and internal causes, which could hinder the progress.

Dhaka Elevated Expressway is going to be practicale!!! through receiving the proposal from local and foreign companies Dhaka Elevated Expressway project is blooming to reality soon.

Ministry of Communications of Present govment initiated Dhaka Elevated Expressway of 32km . Through cabinet meeting held 17 june 2009 passed the proposal of the project considering as Public Private Partnership (PPP) project. in the mean time the ministry took all the prework to develop the project in reality.

In part of this project development 20-21  November 2009 published through newspaper for Pre-qualification Statement from the interested parties to submit proposal . As per decision 1st called last date was marked till 22 February2010 next it was marked till 4 th March 2010.

Today till 4th March 2010,  9 companies have submitted their proposal .Companies are :

          Soma Enterprise Ltd. (India), Sino-Global (USA), AR Track Hawai Rocket Rahmat (Bangladesh), Italian-Thai Development Public Coampany Ltd., (Italy-Thailand), Sikder Real Estate-KCC JV Consortium (Korea-Bangladesh), Gammon Infrastruture Projects Ltd-Bouygus Travaux Publics SA Consortium (India-France), BPHB-BCC JV (Malaysia-Bangladesh),M/S. Simplex Infrastructures Ltd ,M/S. Sri Infrastructure Finance Ltd (India) , China Railway International Ltd., (China)

Just in right time !!! (source )In the wake of serious gas crisis in Bangladesh which among other problems has created impediments to arrange fuel for power generation and Urea fertilizer production, two significant developments have created new expectations. Petrobangla at long last accepted the third party assessor report submitted by Chevron on Bibiyana gas reserve. It is a significantly large field having a reserve of 4Tcf + which effectively doubles the earlier Ultimate Recoverable Gas Reserve. The other development is that the government has set up mind to revise cabinet’s economic committee decision to award nine offshore gas blocks instead of three blocks awarded to two multinational companies. The two decisions can have significant impacts in the energy scenario of Bangladesh.
Bibiyana Episode:
We all knew from the day Bibiyana reserve assessment was submitted to PB in year 1999 that Bibiyana is significant world class gas field. At that time I had opportunity to work on behalf of Petrobangla to assist Unocal in Jalalabad Gad field development. Accompanied by senior Unocal executives several times flew to Bibiyana during drilling of Bibiyana well 2. Few senior level technical personnel of Unocal and later Chevron interacted with undersigned at different stages regarding Bibiyana Gas field development. But PB professionals having very shallow knowledge of reservoir engineering were illogically contesting reservoir assessment report and analysis of Chevron. At one stage some inexperienced professionals even insisted that production from Bibiyana should be restricted 450MMCFD. If you check PB daily Production and Marketing report it will appear that even in early 2009 Bibiyana production capacity used to be shown as 450MMCFD when it used to produce @550MMCFd. It was first changed to 500 and subsequently to 600MMCFD without any explanation.
We all knew that Unocal/Chevron proposed to build a pipeline from Bibiyana to export gas to India. As we were designing Rashidpoor –Ashuganj at that time we had several interactions with concerned professionals of Chevron-Unocal professionals. Later ADB wanted to finance a pipeline having 500MCFD without compression and 1000MMCFD with compression .Initially it also proposed to export 300MMCFD to India dedicating 200MMCFD for Western Region. When Bangladesh regretted to accept Gas export ADB declined to fund the Rashidpoor-Ashuganj Loop Line Project .Bangladesh had to build it with its own money.
When we were constructing R-A loop line one day the then Energy Secretary while visiting Gas systems in Brahamanbaria region we had very useful meeting after dinner at Habiganj Gas Field gust house. The decision to develop Moulavibazar and Bibiyana to meet expanding Gas demand was taken. The following day we visited Moulavi Bazar and Bibiyana Gas fields and ball started rolling.
Simultaneous to Bibiyana development the supplementary actions for gas transmission capacity expansion were planned in the form of setting up gas pipeline compressor stations at Muchai, Ashuganj and Elenga. Chevron Developed Moulavi Bazar and Bibiyana in time. Compressor stations were supposed to be operational by early 2008. But till February 2010 construction of any compressor station has not started yet. Chevron is allowed to produce @650MMCFD in a capacity saturated transmission system which is also partially filled with gas condensate in absence of routine on-stream pigging. Consequently gas system low pressure has created panic.
We have seen a parliamentary committee recently discussed these issues and possibly on wrong advice stated that Chevron supplied unspecified gas into Transmission grid. Chevron plant at Bibiyana has higher capacity. There are no reasons that it would supply unspecified gas .GTCL during system calibration would definitely have spotted this if that happened.
Petrobangla acceptance of higher reserve has created opportunity to further develop Bibiyana to produce @1200MCFD. It would be far more appropriate if Chevron –GTCL together can build a separate cross Country High Pressure pipeline from Bibiyana to Monohardi with a spur to Ashuganj. Significant works on ROW and Route were done we know for export pipeline. These will feed required Gas in under implementation Transmission pipelines all the way up to Khulna and Mongla. If PB Gas fields are also simultaneously developed and Magnama and Haitya exploration yield positive development by 2016 another 1500MMCFD gas will be available for use. If domestic Coal is used is extensively used for power generation Bangladesh may have gas security for Urea production and other use. But it is too early to be complacent .Significant works are essential to attain that situation at every segment of Gas value chain.

Revision of Offshore PSC Award:

We know Bangladesh has already fallen way behind India and Myanmar in offshore exploration. Taking our advantage they have made significant strides. We all know Bangladesh was first to start offshore exploration in 1974. But after Bangabandhu subsequent governments failed to carry forward good works. 4 Party alliance governments at the last stage started the initiative which Care Taker Government significantly advanced. Two IOCs Conoco Philips of USA and Tullow of Ireland were selected for PSC for 8+1=9 offshore blocks. But for silly reasons during approval Conoco Phillips was offered two blocks instead of 8 and Tullow one .Under the under consideration revision Irish company Tullow Bangladesh Limited will get block No-6 instead of block No-5 awarded to it while the US company ConocoPhillips South Asia New Venture Limited will get blocks No-10, 11, 12, 15, 16, 17, 20, 21 instead of blocks No-10 and 11.
The Conoco Philips bid for these blocks and were selected as evaluated bidders. But PB committee also recommended to make award accordingly .During negotiation for award of PSC the IOC claimed to award these in accordance to their bid. Perhaps Government was concerned for strong objections of India and Myanmar as they claimed significant portion of the blocks. Conocco Philips observes that while dispute resolution is in progress there is ho harm in carrying our preliminary surveys. In case of Tullow the situation is different .70% of the block 5 has been claimed by India so they requested to award block 6 instead. Well these could be always settled through negotiation.
Wonder why Conoco Philips situation drifted to this stage. Any Company has to spend significant time money and resources to submit winning bids. If they are asked to sign truncated works they have every reason to fell deprived. We are proving novice after years of brainstorming.
If PSCs could be signed in December IOCs could carry out some work before sea gets rough. Now IOCs have to wait till November at least .Another dry season for working in offshore is lost.
It will take at least 7 years to reap any benefit out of off shore exploration. Hopefully by that time maritime boundary disputes will be resolved either amicably or through arbitration.
Among many frustrating news the two significant developments in Bangladesh gas sector will create some hopes among mid stream and down stream investors. Our coal , our gas will be much better and more feasible options than Imported Coal and LNG.

Feb 7 (g): A red carpet was rolled out to greet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as she landed at Kuwait International Airport on Sunday afternoon to begin a three-day state visit to the Gulf country. Adviser to the Kuwaiti Prime Minister Dr Sheikh Rafah al Sabah al Jaber received Sheikh Hasina at the tarmac as a special airplane carrying her flew into the airport at 6.0pm (local time). The Prime Minister was given a guard of honour by a smartly turned-out contingent. Bangladesh Ambassador to

Kuwait Shahed Reza was present.

Later, the Prime Minister drove to Bayan Palace in a ceremonial motorcade.

Sheikh Hasina will visit the Bangladesh Bhaban in the capital of the Gulf state this evening and have her dinner. The Prime Minister will hold official talks with her Kuwaiti counterpart Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah tomorrow (Monday) on a wide range of matters of bilateral cooperation, encompassing development assistance, investment and labour issues. Earlier, the special plane sent by Emir of Kuwait Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, carrying the Prime Minister and the members of her entourage, took off from Zia International Airport at 2:07 pm.

“At the talks, Bangladesh will seek assistance for development of communications infrastructures, including the mega-project of Padma Bridge, and support for the country’s energy sector,” one official told the news agency.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Sunday invited sister of Kuwait Emir, Anthal Al Ahmed Al Jaber Al Babah, to visit Bangladesh for having a look regarding the adverse effect of climate change in the most vulnerable countries (MVCs) like Bangladesh.

She made the invitation when Anthal Al Ahmed Al Jaber Al Sabah called on the Prime Minister at her suite at Bayan Palace Sunday evening.

Anthal, who is also an environment activist, accepted the Prime Minister’s invitation and expressed her desire to visit Bangladesh at her convenient time.

Younger sister of the Prime Minister Sheikh Rehana, Foreign Minister Dr Dipu Moni, State Minister for Environment and Forest Dr Hasan Mahmud, Bangladesh Ambassador in Kuwait Shahed Reza and Press Secretary to the Prime Minister Abul Kalam Azad were present, among others, during the meeting.

The Prime Minister during the meeting expressed her deep concern regarding the adverse effect of climate change and expressed her desire to work together with Anthal Al Ahmed Al Jaber Al Sabah.

Important issues :
Prime minister Sheikh Hasina sought to secure more jobs for Bangladeshis and greater investment for the country in talks with Kuwaiti leaders on Monday.

She said her government will provide all possible assistance to Kuwaiti investors and also invited them to import high quality garments, ceramics and pharmaceuticals from Bangladesh.

Hasina, in the Gulf state on a three-day official visit, suggested that Kuwaiti businesses can invest in sectors like power, telecommunications, infrastructure development, pharmaceuticals, textiles, ICT, gas and energy, furniture and agro based industries.

Kuwait’s prime minister Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah formally received Hasina at the Baydan Palace in the morning.

Hasina then had an audience with Kuwait’s Emir Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah at Sief Palace where she discussed matters of mutual interest.

“Manpower export from Bangladesh, river dredging and Kuwaiti investment in Bangladesh’s development sector figured prominently during the meetings,” The prime minister’s press secretary Abul Kalam Azad told reporters after the talks.

At a luncheon, hosted by Kuwait Chamber of Commerce later in the day, Hasina invited Kuwaiti businessmen to come forward with investments in Bangladesh.

The prime minister said the investment would not only bring benefits to Kuwati businesses but also help further strengthen existing bilateral relations. “There is huge scope to diversify and enhance trade between the two countries,” she said.

She said her government had been successful in creating an attractive environment for investment with liberal fiscal and financial policies including tax holiday, avoidance of double taxation and unrestricted exit policy.

Besides, Bangladesh has a huge domestic market of 150 million people, abundant skilled labour that will help to attract foreign investors, she said.

“We only need to work together to identify areas of cooperation to harness the existing potentials,” she said.
Hasina urges investment from Kuwaitis
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has urged Kuwaiti business leaders and entrepreneurs to import products from Bangladesh and make investment in the country’s promising sectors under an attractive package of incentives.

“In fact, there is ample scope for diversifying and increasing our two-way trade. We only need to work together to identify areas of cooperation to harness the existing potential,” she told the audience at a luncheon meeting hosted by Kuwait Chamber of Commerce in her honour yesterday.

Hasina arrived here Sunday on a three-day state visit to the oil-rich Gulf state with a wide range of matters of bilateral cooperation on her agenda, especially development assistance, investment and labour issues.

Chairman of the apex trade body Ali Mohammad Thunayan Al-Ganim delivered his welcome address.

The prime minister said Kuwait could import from Bangladesh high-quality garments, ceramics and pharmaceuticals.

The other items she put on offer, which also have equal recognition in an increasingly environment-conscious world, are finished leather and leather products, furniture, handicrafts, and, particularly, jute and jute products.

Hasina said another important area of immense possibility is investment by Kuwait in Bangladesh. “Our government has been successful in creating an attractive investment climate with liberal fiscal and financial policies.”

She listed some of the significant facilities offered to the investors, which include tax holiday, concessionary duty on imported machinery, avoidance of double taxation, remittance of royalty, technical know-how, technical assistance fee, allowing 100 percent foreign equity, unrestricted exit policy, and full repatriation of capital and capital gains in the event of exit.

A huge domestic market of 150 million people, abundant skilled labour, the presence of homegrown entrepreneur class, supportive legal regime, and, above all, commitment of the government are added attractions for foreign investors, the PM told the leading Kuwaiti businesspeople.

She said Kuwaiti investors could seriously consider investing in power, telecommunications, infrastructure development, pharmaceutical, textiles, ICT, real estate, gas and energy, leather, furniture and agro-based industry sectors.

She assured the Kuwaiti entrepreneurs that her government would provide all possible assistance and cooperation in doing business.

“With your cooperation in the fields of trade, commerce and investment, both the State of Kuwait and Bangladesh would mutually be benefited bringing greater prosperity to our countries and peoples,” Hasina hoped.

At present, the balance of trade is very much in favour of Kuwait.

During 2007 to 2008, Bangladesh’s exports to Kuwait stood at $9.69 million, while the corresponding import figure was many times higher.

The Kuwaiti chamber chief stressed a better communication toward cooperation in the fields of trade and investments in the interests of both Kuwait and Bangladesh.

Labour and Expatriate Welfare Minister Mosharraf Hossain, Foreign Minister Dipu Moni, State Minister for Environment Hasan Mahmud and Principal Secretary MA Karim were also present on the occasion.

The prime minister will return home on Wednesday.

Due to Global recession and the strong surveving capacity of Bangladesh and due to the reformed atitude of political govt develop the interest of investing in Bangladesh.Bangladeshi workers abroad sent home a record $6.48 billion as remittances in the first seven months of the current fiscal year, registering a 20.89 percent growth over the same period in the last fiscal year.

The remittances from Bangladeshi nationals working abroad were estimated at $950.92 million in January, up by $77.06 million from the previous month. In December 2009, the remittance was $873.86 million, according to the central bank statistics, released on Wednesday.

“The inflow of remittances is still at a satisfactory level,” a senior official of the Bangladesh Bank (BB), the country’s central bank, told KAHN Media in Dhaka, adding that most of the Bangladeshi expatriates sent higher amount of remittances to their relatives during the period under review to facilitate the current Boro cropping.

Bangladesh received $6.484 billion during the July-January period of the fiscal 2009-10 against $5.363 billion in the same period of the previous fiscal, the BB’s data showed.

The latest figure shows that despite the slowdown of overseas jobs, inflow of remittances has maintained an upward trend — a continuation of last fiscal year when remittances grew 22.41 percent, the central bank officials said.

The BB earlier took a series of measures to encourage expatriate Bangladeshis to send their hard-earned wages through formal banking channels instead of the illegal “hundi” system in order to boost the country’s foreign exchange reserves.

Four state-run commercial banks and dozens of private commercial banks have also stepped up efforts to increase remittance flow from the Middle East, the United Kingdom, Malaysia, Singapore, Italy and the United States.

“We are establishing new contacts with foreign exchange houses so that our overseas workers can find it easy to send money home. We’re also trying to set up our own exchange houses in different parts of the world,” Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Agrani Bank Limited Syed Abu Naser Bukhtear Ahmed told KAHN in the capital, Dhaka.

The country’s foreign exchange reserves stood at $10.13 billion on Wednesday due to the robust growth of remittances, the BB officials confirmed.

After one year evaluation ,the awami govt leading the governance in right track ,seems so.Finance minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith expressed at parliament on Tuesday that the government targeted 8 percent GDP growth by 2013.

In answer of a MP, he said the government wants to raise GDP (gross domestic product) growth rate to 8 percent by 2013. “Investment rate will be increased to 30.32 percent of GDP to attain the target.”

Referring to estimates that the country attained 5.9 percent GDP growth in the first half of 2009-10 fiscal year, he said: “Such growth has been achieved offsetting the negatives of the global economic meltdown.

The minister said sustainable growth in agriculture sector, increase in investment by both private and public sectors, and recovery of the world economy have prompted the government to project 6 percent growth for the current fiscal year.

Mentioning that national savings rose to 32.4 percent of the GDP in 2008-09 fiscal year, he hoped GDP growth would be expedited with the transformation of savings into investment.

Muhith said emphasis is being given to ensuring smooth supply of power and gas, development of infrastructure, full implementation of annual development programme (ADP), and fastening private sector investment for raising the GDP growth rate.

To another question by Sheikh Afiluddin (Jessore-1), the minister said per capita burden of foreign loan of Bangladeshi people has stood at around 150 US dollars.

He said the population of the country was 142.4 million in 2007-08 fiscal year, when the per capita loan burden was 149.54 dollars.

Answering a question by Md Mojibul Haq (Kishoreganj-3), Muhith said different development agencies and donor countries disbursed 1046.21 million dollars as loans and another 133.37 million as grants for Bangladesh during July-November period of the current fiscal year.

To a question by ABM Ashrafuddin (Lakshmipur-4), he said development agencies and donor countries pledged 2507 million dollars for Bangladesh during the fist year of the present government.

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina said her government had come into power with the people’s mandate and they would judge the government’s successes, addressing the nation on her one year in power.

She criticised the army backed caretaker government, saying: “Remain alert so that no evil force can come to power.”

She said: “We were not responsible for the misrule during the two years preceding the (December 2008) election.”

She blamed BNP for the situation that led to the promulgation of a state of emergency on Jan 11 2007.

She also praised the contribution of those who helped bring about “the change”
…

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina wednesday, said in the last one year her government tried with all sincerity to live up to the public trust bestowed upon it in the last general election.

source : dailystar.

Addressing the nation , on the occasion of her government reaching its one year mark in power, Hasina said Awami League (AL)-led alliance’s landslide victory in the election was the manifestation of that public trust.

“Therefore, our responsibility towards the people also increased manifold. We tried to live up to that trust over the last one year. It is up to the people to judge how successful we have been,” the premier said.

“Our election pledges were to reduce prices of essentials and to ensure food security. We have largely succeeded in delivering on those pledges,” said the prime minister, whose cabinet focused on boosting up the agriculture sector from the very beginning.

In the recorded televised address, Hasina, also the leader of the House and chief of the AL-led grand alliance, pledged to establish a healthy, positive political trend breaking away from traditional political culture.

She urged the main opposition to join the parliament and play an effective role in building a prosperous Bangladesh, shunning all narrow partisan and personal interests.

“Let’s unite to search for an enlightened way to build a golden Bangladesh,” Hasina urged the nation.

The premier elaborated on her government’s measures in different sectors including agriculture, communications, energy and power, education, ICT, commerce, food, poverty reduction, health, climate change, and protection of the environment and rivers.

Talking about massive plans in the communication sector, the prime minister said her government will build a rail line connecting the capital and Cox’s Bazar. A thirty-two kilometre long elevated expressway will also be built in Dhaka connecting Jatrabari and Zia International Airport to ease traffic congestion in the capital, she added.

The prime minister sought cooperation from all citizens for implementation of her government’s programmes and promises for building a prosperous Bangladesh.

“We want to free the country of corruption, misrule, illiteracy and poverty by 2021,” she said.

On curbing corruption, the premier said, “We want to see the country free of corruption. For that we have taken steps to reform and strengthen organisational structures. The Anti-corruption Commission is working independently.”

Speaking on establishment of rule of law, she firmly pledged to begin the trial of war criminals within the shortest possible time. None with connection to last year’s BDR mutiny will be spared, she said.

She also said the killers of four national leaders assassinated inside Dhaka Central Jail on November 3, 1975 will face justice. The perpetrators of the August 21, 2004 grenade attack on an AL rally, and the persons responsible for the 10-truck arms haul in Chittagong will be punished as well, she added.

“The government has taken different measurers so that no militant and terrorist activity can be carried out in Bangladesh,” said the premier adding that her government took different steps for strengthening law and order, and to that end it increased facilities and allowances for law enforcers.

In the speech the prime minister thanked the people of the country and expressed deep gratitude to those who voted AL to power.

She held the last BNP-Jamaat coalition government responsible for ushering in the immediate past state of emergency for two years by resorting to widespread corruption and misrule