POBNEWS24, Dhaka June 5, 2022 : Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said that the main enemy of South Asian countries is poverty. So everyone has to work together to eradicate poverty from the region. The Prime Minister made the remarks during a courtesy call on Secretary General of the South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC) Esala Ruan Urakun and his wife at the Prime Minister’s official residence Ganobhaban on Sunday (June 5). After the meeting, Press Secretary to the Prime Minister Ihsanul Karim briefed the journalists.
The Prime Minister said the countries of the region should co-operate with each other. Many problems can be solved bilaterally. During his visit to Calcutta after the liberation war, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the father of the nation of Bangladesh, spoke on the topic of regional cooperation.
SAARC Secretary General emphasized the need to strengthen the SAARC Food Bank. He highly praised Bangladesh for its contribution to the SAARC Agriculture Center.
Sri Lankan-born Esala Wirakun said the epidemic was also responsible for his country’s ongoing economic crisis. He praised Bangladesh for extending a helping hand to Sri Lanka in this critical moment.
He added that Sri Lanka’s rice production has dropped by 50 per cent and the country now needs fertilizer.
In this regard, the Prime Minister said that despite being a country with huge population, Bangladesh can supply potatoes to Sri Lanka during this crisis.
He added that Bangladesh has taken steps to increase food production in the wake of the global food crisis due to the Kavid-19 epidemic and the Ukraine-Russia war.
Sheikh Hasina also said that Bangladeshi researchers are continuing their efforts to develop different varieties of rice which are tolerant of salinity and drought.
Earlier, SAARC Secretary General visited the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum and appreciated it.
Ambassador-at-Large Mohammad Ziauddin and Senior Secretary to the Prime Minister’s Office. Tofazzal Hossain Mia was present at the time.
