UAE visit to boost ties with ME nations: PM

Terming her recent UAE visit as a very successful one, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said on Thursday the visit was a step toward further boosting ties with countries of the Middle East in the areas of trade, investment and business, reports BSS.
"The visit has created new hope to open up labour market for Bangladeshis as well as strengthen ties with the Middle East countries in the areas of trade, investment and business," she said at a press conference at her official residence Gonobhaban in the city.
Sheikh Hasina said she had a very constructive discussion with leaders of the UAE on various bilateral, regional and international issues which created opportunities for the two countries to work together on those issues.
"In all consideration, the visit was a very successful one and I hope the visit would have a critical and enduring role to further build up relations in various areas between the two countries," the Prime Minister said.
The press conference was convened to inform the media of the Prime Minister's three-day official visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from October 25 to 27 at the invitation of Vice President and Prime Minister of that country Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid al Maktum.
Rejecting the remarks of BNP leaders who termed the visit as a 'futile one', the Prime Minister said, "They look at everything out of their own viewpoint. BNP made Bangladesh a failed state when the party was in power. As an opposition they failed in their movement to unseat the government. So they certainly see no success in our stride," she said.
Sheikh Hasina said the UAE attached special importance to the role of Bangladesh in establishing global peace and stability. The UAE leader hailed the success of Bangladesh in the socio-economic areas during the tenure of the present government.
The UAE specially praised Bangladesh for taking the decision of implementing the Padma Bridge project with its own resources, the Prime Minister said adding the project led the UAE leaders to look at "our capacity very positively".
The Prime Minister said she had discussed with UAE leaders international peace and security and Middle-east crisis and expressed concern over increasing militant and terrorist activities in the Middle East and other areas. The two countries agreed to work together more closely to combat terrorism, she said.
Criticising the European Union for its concern over awarding capital punishment to Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Motiur Rahman Nizami on the ground of human rights violation, she said the trial and punishment to human rights violators would be held as per the law of the land.
"They always express concern over the rights of those who have violated the human rights. . . How will terrorism and militancy be stopped?" she said. Sheikh Hasina categorically said terrorism and militancy would have to be uprooted from the country and human rights would have to be protected. "To do this, the human rights violators will have to be brought to justice as per the provisions existing in the country," she said.
The Prime Minister said the trial of war criminals was nothing new.
"The trial of war criminals after the World War-II is still ongoing. Whether they are 90 years old or 100 years....why they did not stop the trial?"
"They are right, we are not. Are the people of the country not human beings?" she questioned, saying that what crimes they (war criminals) did not commit. "They raped, looted, torched and killed intellectuals... everybody knows who was Nizami," she said. Sheikh Hasina said the EU should know that the trial of war criminals was being held as per laws of the country.
"The tribunal is of international standard and the trial is being held maintaining all international laws," she said.
The Prime Minister questioned where their concern was when the Israeli troops indiscriminately killed the Palestinian people including women and children? "Is it not the violation of the human rights? We would have become happy, had the EU expressed concern at that time."