PM Urges For A Plan To Protect And Use Sea Resources

She said this at a high level meeting at her Tejgaon office here on preparing a strategic action plan for exploitation and management of natural resources of sea areas acquired through country's victory on maritime boundary demarcation cases.

"We have to confirm what resources we have in our sea areas through research and necessary survey. The research and survey should be conducted continuously everywhere in the deep and shallow areas of the sea," she said.

Briefing reporters on the meeting that lasted nearly three hours, PM's press secretary AKM Shamim Chowdhury said concerned secretaries, navy chief, chairman of SPARSO, surveyor general and chairman of Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission presented ten concept papers on development and use of maritime resources in the meeting.

Cabinet members, PM's advisors, navy chief, secretaries and senior officials concerned were present.

The Prime Minister said, "We have to consolidate the maritime victory within a very short possible time", hoping that the maritime resources would bring revolution in the socio-economic development of the country.

She laid importance on country's own satellite for the survey and research, hoping that Bangabandhu Satellite would be launched by 2017. She said her government would take step for strengthening Bangladesh Navy and Bangladesh Coast Guard to ensure security of the sea and it resources.

Laying importance on protecting the ecology and bio-diversity of the sea, she asked the ministries to take their individual plan for extraction of all resources including weeds.

The Prime Minister asked for massive tree plantation drive to recover char areas and make the new chars livable. She asked the energy ministry to go for fresh bidding for gas exploration in the Bay of Bengal and make sure that no particular bidder can establish monopoly in the bidding process.

The Prime Minister also asked for development of an attractive tourism system in the sea and strengthen cooperation with other countries in the region.

Pointing out the initiative of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman for resolving maritime dispute with neighbouring countries, Sheikh Hasina said the post-1975 government showed their complete inertia in this regard.

After 21 years, she said, the Awami League government reinitiated the process after assuming office in 1996.

The Prime Minister asked all concerned to launch the initiative as soon as possible to utilize the sea resources for people's welfare. In view of this she laid importance on proper extraction of mineral and fisheries resources from sea areas.

The Prime Minister urged the officials to keep abreast of the knowledge of extracting maritime resources and strengthen cooperation with friendly countries.

-Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS)