Princess Anne calls on PM

The visiting Royal Princess Anne, the only daughter of British Queen Elizabeth and Duke of Edinburgh, Tuesday paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her Ganobhaban official residence, reports BSS. During the meeting, they discussed various issues of mutual interests between Bangladesh and the UK. The Prime Minister said Bangladesh attaches due importance to its relations with the UK as both the countries are working closely in different regional and international forums. Briefing newsmen after the meeting, Press Secretary to the Prime Minister Abul Kalam Azad said that the British princess appreciated Hasina's role in women empowerment, rooting out militancy and terrorism and strengthening democratic institutions in the country. The Prime Minister reiterated her commitment to eradicate all discriminations against women in the society saying that her government is working to ensure women empowerment. As the education issue came up in the discussion, she said her government distributed free of cost textbooks at secondary level. She said the government has also plans to introduce full free education up to graduation level for poor students across the country. Her government is also working to increase stipends to school students to reduce droop out. Princess Anne also hailed the present government's success in attaining the millennium development goals and achieving MDG Award-4 by the United Nation for Bangladesh's success in reducing child and maternal mortality rates. About democracy, the Prime Minister said that Bangladesh could not attain desired development due to lack of uninterrupted practice of the system in the country as military rulers grabbed state power for a long time after the brutal assassination of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on August 15, 1975. Hasina also thanked the British government and other European development partners for their supports and assistance to hold the December 29, 2008, elections in a free, fair, neutral and acceptable manner. As Princess Anne hailed government's efforts to attain food security, the Prime Minister said, apart from ensuring all facilities to farmers, the government is working to introduce salinity-resilient crops to boost production.