Foreign envoys praise Sheikh Hasina’s leadership during COVID pandemic

Ambassadors of Turkey and China, and the Indian High Commissioner have highly praised Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s leadership during the Covid-19 pandemic. They were addressing a special webinar titled "Political Leadership: Then and Now", organised by the International Affairs Sub-Committee of Bangladesh Awami League on 30th January 2020 (Saturday), to mark the completion of two years of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s fourth and current tenure as head of government and the birth centenary of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Foreign Minister Dr. A K Abdul Momen MP was present as the chief guest in the webinar addressed by, among others, the Chairman of the Int’l Affairs Sub-Committee Ambassador Muhammad Zamir and the International Affairs Secretary of Bangladesh Awami League, Dr. Shammi Ahmed. Moderated by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Special Assistant and Member of the Int’l Affairs Sub Committee Barrister Shah Ali Farhad, the webinar arranged screening of a new documentary titled, ‘Leadership Matters: How Sheikh Hasina is leading Bangladesh through the pandemic’, and launching of a memorial publication on Mujib Year titled, ‘Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib: The Global Leader Transcending Time and Boundaries’.

In her welcome speech, Dr. Shammi Ahmed highlighted the progress and development Bangladesh has witnessed during the 12 years of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s leadership as the head of government, including economic growth, infrastructural development such as the Padma Bridge, poverty reduction, women empowerment, education, and health sectors. She noted the leadership Sheikh Hasina showed during the difficult situation of the pandemic. She also highlighted how Sheikh Hasina has demonstrated her commitment to humanitarian issues like the Rohingya crisis, and appealed to the international community to stand by Bangladesh in resolving this crisis.

Foreign Minister Dr. Abdul Momen, after launching the memorial publication on Bangabandhu, highlighted various aspects of the Father of the Nation’s leadership in building a Sonar Bangla. Dr. Momen further stressed that a governance mechanism was in place to ensure food, harvest, and shelter during the pandemic. He appreciated the safety net programs and stimulus packages that the Prime Minister has put in place as a means of minimising the adverse impacts of the pandemic on the economy and society.

Li Jiming, the Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh, stated that what the Awami League-led Government has achieved over the last decade for Bangladesh was simply ‘exceptional’. He stated there is still broader scope of cooperation between Bangladesh and China, both between governments as well as between political parties. Vikram Doraiswami, the High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh, stated that during the last decade, the development achieved by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her government is “ no mean achievement”. He claimed that India's commitment to Bangladesh is unshakeable, and the roots of the relationship between the two countries supersede any strategic partnership. Mustafa Osman Turan, the Ambassador of Turkey to Bangladesh, stated the country’s progress under the Awami League Government is “well documented and recognised” by the international community. He noted that the nation is enjoying sustainable development and is the rising tiger of South Asia. Ambassador Turan lauded the Bangladeshi peoples’ resilience in the face of natural calamities and the pandemic.
  
In his closing remarks, Ambassador Muhammad Zamir, that owing to Sheikh Hasina’s pragmatic and time-befitting policy action, today’s Bangladesh is a role model of sustainable development, a far cry from the comments of Henry Kissinger about the infant nation of Bangladesh in the 70s. He appreciated the Prime Minister’s strong leadership during the pandemic, and appealed for greater cooperation, among all countries of the world in general and between the Asian countries in particular, to united combat the impacts of Covid-19 and achieve mutually beneficial development.

The Ambassadors of Algeria, Vietnam, and DPR Korea, were also in attendance, together with diplomatic officials from, among others, the missions of UK, USA and Japan. Barrister Shah Ali Farhad noted that the two contents released today, i.e., the video documentary and the memorial publication, will soon be uploaded in the official website, Facebook page and Youtube channel of Bangladesh Awami League.