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Published on April 1, 2014
"We always welcome assistance from other countries or organizations but we would never accept any sorts of assistance that includes harmful conditions," she said.
The Prime Minister said this when visiting World Bank Regional Vice President for South Asia Philippe Le Heuerou called on her at her office here this morning.
PM's Special Assistant Mahbubul Hoque Shakil briefed reporters after the meeting.
The Prime Minister said that each country of the world has its own philosophy of development. "This philosophy includes culture, nature, environment, psychology and the geographical characteristics of that particular country," she said.
The World Bank vice president highly appreciated the tremendous successes of the government in economic empowerment of the women, attaining over six percent GDP growth in the last couple of years as well as successes in education and health sectors.
The World Bank vice president, who is on his maiden visit in Bangladesh, said that the Prime Minister is steering the country successfully in this forward marching.
He also praised the government for taking steps for developing the social safety net.
Heuerou expressed his organization's interest to assist in the infrastructural development of Bangladesh.
In this connection, he said that the World Bank has pledged to provide US$ 2.8 billion in the current fiscal where it already signed aid agreements with Bangladesh government for US$ 1.73 billion till February last.
The World Bank VP also put emphasis on strengthening the regional connectivity and said that his organization would like to take part in this sector.
In response, the Prime Minister said that the regional connectivity is increasing day by day.
In this regard, she mentioned the two hydro-power projects-Bangladesh-Bhutan- India and Bangladesh-Nepal-India.
Describing various uplift programmes of the government for developing the education, health and power sectors, the Prime Minister said Bangladesh has maintained more than six percent GDP growth despite global economic recession due to the pragmatic and time-befitting steps of the government.
She also hoped that by 2021 Bangladesh would cross the double digit in the GDP growth.
About the development of the power sector, Sheikh Hasina said that the country on Monday produced the highest-ever power 7356 MW. She mentioned the system loss in the power sector has been reduced to 12 percent from 40 percent due to various steps of the government.
She also said that the trafficking of women and children has been decreased significantly.
The Prime Minister said that the main aim of her government is to serve the country to make it free from poverty and hunger to establish the 'Sonar Bangla' (Golden Bengal) as dreamt by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
The World Bank VP also described the activities of the World Bank in Bangladesh after setting up its office here in 1972. He said that World Bank wants to remain beside Bangladesh in its march towards development.
Heuerou highly appreciated Bangabandhu and said that after visiting outside Dhaka he realized that Bangabandhu remains in the heart of the people of this country.
He uttered Father of the Nation (Jatir Pita) in Bangla.
The World Bank VP mentioning his outside Dhaka tour-Barisal and Jessore-- said that he was energised to see the hard labour and gigantic tasks of the farmers in the rural areas.
PM's Media Adviser Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, Ambassador-At-Large M Ziauddin, Principal Secretary Abdus Sobhan Sikder and PM's Special Assistant Mahbubul Hoque Shakil were present, among others.
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