Govt mulls setting up of NRB Bank, says PM

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NEW YORK, Sept 26 (UNB): Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said the government is actively considering establishment of a Non-Resident Bangladeshi (NRB) Bank to create safe opportunity for the expatriates to invest their hard-earned money. She said this while addressing a reception hosted in her honour by the United States unit of Awami League at Hotel Hilton here Sunday.
Hasina said the hard-earned money of expatriate Bangladeshis will be a good investment in the proposed NRB Bank rather than spending the money in unproductive sectors like constructing big houses in their villages.
The proposed bank will carry out commercial activities along with ensuring the welfare of the NRBs, she said. The Prime Minister said that a similar bank - Expatriate Welfare Bank - with government fund will help aspirant Bangladeshi manpower to meet their cost of going abroad for job.
Bangladeshi workers intending to go abroad on employment will no longer be needed to sell all their properties as they could now borrow the money from the Expatriate Welfare Bank, she added. Hasina called upon the NRBs to invest in ICT and communications sectors to help the government implement its vision of building digital Bangladesh by the year 2021.
Mentioning her government's efforts for giving voting rights to the expatriate Bangladeshis, she assured them of fulfilling another of their main demands - resumption of Dhaka-New York flight of Bangladesh Biman - by 2011 soon after the inclusion of new aircraft in its fleet.
Terming democracy as the main pre-requisite for democracy, the Prime Minister said she is working tirelessly to establish true democracy in the country, as without democracy economic emancipation of the common people are impossible.
She said in line with its election manifesto her government has "brought down the prices of essentials within the reach of the common people" and reduced the prices of fertilisers for attaining food autarky through boosting agricultural production. Referring to another election pledge of trying the war criminals of 1971, she said the process of trial has already begun and all war criminals will be brought to justice in the soil of Bangladesh. Hasina said the present government like her previous tenure puts highest priority on education and announced a universal education policy taking the opinions of all concerned into consideration. "The government is thinking of providing free education up to degree level and a committee has already been formed to examine the ways to introduce the system."
She listed the various efforts of her government for the welfare of the people through building a prosperous 'Sonar Bangla' (golden Bangla) as dreamt by father nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. She said one e-centre will be set up at each of the 8,000 post offices and about 4,500 unions brought under the optical fiber network.
About electricity shortage, the Prime Minister said although it is a legacy handed down by the four-party alliance government, the present government attached priority to the sector and added 1000 megawatt of electricity to the national grid during the last one and half years while it has plans to include another 2500 MW within the next one year.
In this connection, she called upon the expatriate Bangladeshis to invest in the country's vital power sector taking the advantage of the government's favourable investment policy.
Expressing her firm determination to eliminate terrorism in all its forms, the Prime Minister said despite several terrorist attempts on her life she never bowed before the forces of terror. "Terrorism won't be allowed in the soil of Bangladesh," she said unequivocally. Hasina said her government is committed to turn Bangladesh into the most peaceful nation in South Asia, free from poverty, hunger and militancy.
Mentioning the contributions of expatriate Bangladeshis to the country's economy, the Prime Minister said her government always considers welfare of the expatriate Bangladeshis as they are playing a very important role in economic development of Bangladesh. Finance Minister AMA Muhith, Prime Minister's son and an eminent IT specialist Sajib Wazed Joy, Foreign Minister Dipu Moni, Chief Whip Abdus Shahid, among others, also addressed the reception chaired by President of USA unit of Awami League Khaled Hasan.