PM: Bangladesh will be homeless-free soon

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said Bangladesh will become a homeless- and landless-free country after the distribution of only 11,000 homes. 

“We are only 11,000 homes away from making Bangladesh a homeless- and landless-free country,” she said when EU Ambassador Charles Whiteley paid a farewell call on her at her official residence, Ganabhaban, on Sunday. 

She told the ambassador that her government has constructed flats for slum dwellers, where they can reside paying the rent they used to pay in slums. In addition, flats for cleaning workers have also been constructed by her government, and homeless people are being given homes under the Ashrayan project, she said. 

“The target of my government is that there will be no homeless and landless people in Bangladesh,” she added.  

As the EU ambassador talked about community clinics, the Prime Minister said it is established only to ensure primary healthcare.

PM’s Press Secretary Md Nayeemul Islam Khan briefed reporters after the meeting.  

The ambassador said the EU will continue extending cooperation to Bangladesh for its graduation from a least developed country (LDC). 

He told the prime minister that he will be stationed in Brussels in his next assignment and there he will work on the Indo-Pacific region, which is why he will keep in touch with Bangladesh.  

Regarding the launching of a “Talent Partnership,” the envoy said this scheme will open the doors of immigration to EU countries in a legal way as Bangladeshi skilled and qualified people will be able to avail themselves of opportunities and get legal work permits. 

He said immigrants could return home after 4/5 years, so there would be no issue of brain drain. 

The premier said: “Our people will go abroad and gather experience and contribute to the country. So I do not think it as brain drain.”

When the issue of a rail link development project on the Laksam-Chittagong route, in which the EU was interested in providing support, came up, the premier said it seemed to be an expensive and non-viable project. 

The government will rather try to find an appropriate and sustainable project with EU financing as they have full concentration on the development of rail communication, she added. 

About Bangladesh-India connectivity, the prime minister said Bangladesh wants to establish connectivity with Nepal and Bhutan through India for the import of electricity using Indian territory, while India will also communicate with its different parts through Bangladesh. 

“We are also considering trans-Asian rail connectivity in this way,” she added. 

To this end, the prime minister laid emphasis on strengthening Bimstec as Bangladesh will take over as its next chair after Thailand. 

The EU ambassador requested the prime minister to play a pivotal role in establishing peace in Ukraine and Russia. 

In reply, the prime minister said she is always vocal and talks about peace. “Not only in Ukraine-Russia and Gaza but we want peace everywhere.”