BSS-43 PM-CRIMES-RAPE 2 LAST DHAKA

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BSS-43

PM-CRIMES-RAPE 2 LAST DHAKA

Debt trap:

Noting that external debt is only around 14 percent of the country’s GDP, the prime minister said Bangladesh is careful enough not to fall in any debt trap. “We’re enough careful about debt trap. Our foreign debt burden is not very much. Our debt is only around 14 percent of our GDP. We’re paying the (foreign loan) installments timely without any default,” she said.

She said Bangladesh implements 90 percent of the annual development programme (ADP) with own finance. “Padma Bridge is also being constructed with own fund,” she added.

Age limit for govt job

In reply to a question, Sheikh Hasina apparently ruled out the possibility to extend the age limit for entering the government jobs placing a number of logics in support of keeping this age limit unchanged.

The premier said a student can complete his or her post-graduate degree at the age of 23 years and the success rate of the BCS applicants aged 23-25 years is higher than that of examinees aged 25-27 years and much higher than that of BCS candidates aged above 29 years.

In the 35th BCS examination, she said, 40.7 percent candidates were aged 23-25 years, 30.29 percent candidates aged 25-27 years, 13.17 percent candidates aged 27-29 years and 3.45 percent candidates aged above 29 years became successful.

In 36th BCS examination, 37.45 percent candidates aged 23-25 years, 34.78 percent candidates aged 25-27 years, 14.89 percent candidates aged 27-29 years and 3.23 percent candidates aged above 29 years qualified.

In 37th BCS examination, 43.65 percent candidates aged 23-25 years, 23.35 percent candidates aged 25-27 years, 7.20 percent candidates aged 27-29 years and 0.61 percent candidates aged above 29 years qualified, said the premier.

“If the age limit is extended to 35 years, what will be the situation? There is a certain age to do work,” she said.

“What will be the consequences? If anyone joins job at the age 35, he or she will have to be given training till 37 years,” she added.

Sheikh Hasina said any government job holder will have to fulfill 25 years in service to get the full pension benefit.

Bangladesh cricket team

Responding to another question over Bangladesh cricket team’s performance in the ICC World Cup 2019, the Prime Minister said Bangladesh team improved much.

“I would like to thank them (cricket players) as they appeared brave and confident. I didn’t see any lack of confidence in them,” she said.

Written speech on China visit

Sheikh Hasina expressed her firm belief that her just-concluded five-day official visit to China will take the bilateral relations between the two countries to a newer height.

“Apart from bilateral issues, repatriation of Rohingyas got priority. I strongly highlighted the issue during the talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Prime Minister Li Keqiang and other Chinese leaders,” she said in her written speech at the press conference.

During the talks, she said, all leaders assured her of extending cooperation to resolve the Rohingya crisis.

On July 1, she said, she left Dhaka for a five-day official visit to Dalian and Beijing to attend the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum and hold talks with Chinese leaders.

She attended the WEF Annual Meeting which was inaugurated by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on July 2.

In the afternoon on July 2, the premier held a bilateral meeting WEF Executive Chairman President Professor Klaus Schwab.

In the meeting, Professor Schwab said the World Economic Forum (WEF) will arrange an event in Bangladesh next year on the occasion of the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the golden jubilee of independence.

As a country, Bangladesh will be the main focus of the Davos Summit in 2021.

Later, the premier joined a panel discussion on “Cooperation in the Pacific Rim” at Dalian International Conference Centre.

In the discussion, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina placed a five-point proposal to address the key concerns of smaller communities and weaker economies for their collective takeoff endeavours, which she felt crucial for a sustainable global economy.

On July 3, she reached Beijing, the Chinese capital, after attending inaugural ceremony of the WEF Summer Davos in Dalian, Liaoning Province.

Bilateral talks between the Bangladesh premier and her Chinese counterpart Li Keqiang were held on the next day at the Great Hall of the People.

Li Keqiang assured Sheikh Hasina that China would try to persuade Myanmar for taking back its nationals from Bangladesh.

In the meeting, Sheikh Hasina gave emphasis on peace and stability in the region to achieve the cherished goals of development.

But peace and stability could be affected in the region due to the Rohingya crisis, she mentioned.

The Chinese premier termed Bangladesh as a partner of China in South Asia.

He said there is a strategic partnership between the two countries and he would like to take it to a higher level. “Both of us hoped that the relations will be deepened and strengthened further in future,” he said.

The Chinese prime minister hoped that Bangladesh will keep up its development spree and China will continue to support Bangladesh in this regard.

Sheikh Hasina said on July 5 she held bilateral talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping where they agreed on speedy solution to the protracted Rohingya crisis.

“We have agreed on solving the Rohingya problem fast as it cannot be kept unresolved,” she said.

Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh seeks “goodwill” from the Chinese government so that the Rohingyas can return to their motherland.

In reply, the Chinese president said they previously worked with both Bangladesh and Myanmar for solving the Rohingya crisis and will continue to work. “We want the Rohingyas to go back,” the Chinese president said.

Jinping said the Myanmar minister who works on the Rohingya issue may visit Bangladesh again and it is expected that it will create another possibility for solving the problem.

Nine instruments and memorandums of understanding (MoUs) in different sectors on aid for the Rohingyas and economic and technical cooperation, investment, power, culture and tourism were inked in presence of the two prime ministers.

Under the first agreement titled “Letter of Exchange (LoC) on the Rohingya Refugees Rice Aid”, China will provide 2,500 metric tons of rice to the forcibly displaced Rohingyas from Myanmar.

Other instruments are: — Framework Agreement of “Expansion and Strengthening of Power System Network under DPDC Area”.

— Framework Agreement of “Power Grid Network Strengthening Project under PGCB Project”.

-Agreement on Economic and Technical Cooperation between the Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh and the Government of the People’s Republic of China.

— Government Concessional Loan Agreement of “Expansion and Strengthening of Power System Network under DPDC Area Project”.

— Preferential Buyer’s Credit Loan Agreement of “Expansion and Strengthening of Power System Network under DPDC Area Project”.

— Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the Establishment of Investment Cooperation Working Group.

— MoU and its Implementation Plan on hydrological information sharing of Yalu Zhangbo/ Brahmaputra River.

— MoU on Cultural Exchange and Tourism Programme.

The prime minister delivered the keynote speech at a Roundtable Meeting with Chinese Business Leaders at the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) in the afternoon on July 4.

She invited Chinese businesspeople to explore the full potential of business and trade relations with Bangladesh as the country is marching ahead in various areas of economic growth and development.

BSS/MKD/SH/BR/2125