BRICS membership to expand BD's trade horizons, says PM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has explained Bangladesh's decision to seek membership to the BRICS coalition, consisting of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, reports bdnews24.com.

Speaking at a media briefing on Wednesday about her recent trip to Switzerland, the prime minister said expressed Bangladesh's interest in joining the BRICS coalition to South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Membership in the coalition, viewed as the foremost geopolitical rival to the G7 bloc, will allow Bangladesh to enhance trade relations with a host of countries in order to ease some of the economic hardships facing the country, according to Hasina.

"We have decided to join BRICS after taking all these factors into consideration."

Bangladesh is also exploring the prospect of trading in its own currency in order to reduce its dependency on the US dollar amid an ongoing forex crunch, according to Hasina.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also vowed not to compromise the sovereignty of Bangladesh as she called the BNP's motives into question, suggesting it would be willing to 'mortgage' St Martin's Island in order to assume power.

BSS adds: The Prime Minister reiterated that the upcoming national election will take place on time as per the constitution, saying, "Why are there efforts to create a constitutional crisis as there is no scope to hand over the power to an unelected government?"

"Everybody knows it (judgement of higher court and amendment of constitution). Why are they trying to create a constitutional crisis even after knowing it? What is the motive? It means destroying the democratic trend," she said.