Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has called on world leaders to strive for an immediate end to the Russia-Ukraine war, highlighting the suffering of people worldwide due to the conflict and a raft of sanctions stemming from it.
“I’m not sure who is profiting from the conflict. It could be the arms dealers or manufacturers. But people in Bangladesh and around the world are suffering,” Hasina said at an event on Thursday.
“Therefore, I urge the international community to stop the war and withdraw the sanctions. People should be given an opportunity to live. There should be measures aimed at maintaining a reasonable living standard.”
Hasina said her government ensured power for every household in Bangladesh, but now, even developed countries are facing energy and power crises due to the war.
"We’re no exception."
Underlining the sudden hike in prices of essentials, the prime minister said the war in Ukraine and the resulting sanctions regimes have exacerbated the lingering economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
Hasina, who inaugurated several development schemes at the Payra seaport on Thursday, said the port will be transformed into a deep sea port in the future in the vein of the Matarbari and Moheshkhali ports.
“I’m really happy that the construction [of the port] is fully funded by Bangladesh. We’re using our reserve fund for this,” said Hasina.
She highlighted the need for regular dredging work every year and flagged the need for the Payra port to have its own dredger. “We provided a dredger to each and every port. The Mongla port didn’t have a dredger before. It’s important to have a dredger to ensure regular maintenance.”
After the dredging work in the river is complete, a water route stretching all the way to northern Bangladesh can be established, said Hasina. “Besides, a waterway can be formed to reach Assam and Bhutan. We have already allowed Bhutan, Nepal and India to use the Chattogram and Mongla ports.”