Blaming Khaleda Zia and Jamaat for Bangladesh losing the GSP facilities in the US market, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday told parliament that the BNP chief and the Islamist party had been spreading propaganda abroad with lobbyist.
The PM, however, expressed her hope that Bangladesh would get the Generalised Scheme of Preferences, saying the USA has to remember that they also have around US$ 2 billion investment in Bangladesh.
Hasina said no superpower but some local evil forces were responsible for the cancellation of the GSP facilities.
“The BNP and Jamaat appointed lobbyists to destroy the image of Bangladesh and cancel the GSP facilities. Besides, anti-liberation force and the collaborator of Pakistani occupation force Jamaat-e-Islami appointed lobbyists to conduct negative propaganda against Bangladesh,” Hasina said while replying to lawmakers’ queries.
She said, “It was very regretful that a person who was the prime minister and opposition leader had sent a letter to the American government seeking cancellation of the GSP facilities for Bangladesh. The political leader also wrote an article in an unknown newspaper in Washington, destroying the image of Bangladesh.”
On the USA’s investment in Bangladesh, Hasina said, “The USA has to remember that before the tenure of the Awami League government in 1996 their investment in Bangladesh was only US$ 25 million. During our tenure, their investment rose to around 1.2 billion. It happened due to the Awami League government. We’ve given that scope, now it’s around US$ 2 billion. They’ve their investment here, they have to remember that.”
Hasina, also leader of the House, said the USA wanted to play with the people of Bangladesh by sending the Seventh Fleet during the Liberation War to help the Pakistani occupation forces.
“But Bangladesh achieved its liberation and they couldn’t stop us from achieving our victory,” she added.
Source: The Daily Star
