The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina urged the member-countries of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) to assist Bangladesh in its grim fight against the perils of global climate change as the country needs international cooperation in protecting the people.

She made the call when the visiting OIC Secretary-General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu paid a courtesy call on her at the Prime Minister's Office on Tuesday and discussed with her various issues, including terrorism, trade, tariff, education, and science and technology.

The OIC Secretary-General lauded Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's role in the international forums in the matter of tackling the challenges stemming from the climate change, caused by global warming due to excessive carbon emissions.

Sheikh Hasina, in reply, said the present government has chalked out an action plan on its own capacity to protect its people from the natural calamities.

"But Bangladesh needs international cooperation in successfully facing the challenges of the global warming," Deputy Press Secretary to the Prime Minister Mahbubul Hoque Shakil quoted her as saying.

The OIC chief executive said the forum of Muslim countries is now working on priority basis against international terrorism and for development of education, science, technology, and health sectors and increasing trade and business in its member-countries.

In this context, Ekmeleddin highly praised Bangladesh government's development initiatives and expressed the hope that living standard of its people would be developed under the able leadership of Sheikh Hasina.

On the issue of international terrorism, the Prime Minister said, "The land of Bangladesh will never be allowed to be used for any terrorist activity."

The OIC Secretary-General congratulated Sheikh Hasina on the Bangladesh Awami League-led Grand Alliance's landslide victory at the December 29, 2008 parliamentary polls.

"Like other international observers, the OIC's election observers in the Bangladesh general election also described the polls as free, fair and neutral," he was quoted as saying. Sheikh Hasina said the general election was very significant as the people of Bangladesh had long waited for electing their own democratic government.

"Now the democracy-loving people have elected their own government. At the same time, they have reposed a great responsibility on us to work for their socioeconomic betterment," the Prime Minister said.

The OIC Secretary-General gave special thanks to the premier as her cabinet Monday ratified the Protocol on the Preferential Tariff Scheme for TPS-OIC (PRETAS) as a business-boosting instrument.

Ekmeleddin said following Bangladesh's ratification of the Protocol, trade and business between the OIC member-countries and Bangladesh will be beefed up further.

Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister MA Karim, Prime Minister's Office Secretary Mollah Waheeduzzaman and Ambassador Ziauddin were present.