Chief whip hails PM's Time 100 placement

Chief Whip Nurul Islam Moni has extended a formal congratulation to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman in parliament following his inclusion in Time Magazine's list of the 100 most influential people in the world, reports bdnews24.com.

During his floor speech on Thursday, the chief whip remarked that the premier's global recognition has brought honour to the country.

"He is honoured, which means the country is honoured, the prime minister has honoured this nation," Moni said, as treasury bench members thumped their desks in approval.

Highlighting the prime minister's political journey, the chief whip spoke of his transition from 17 years in exile to leading the country.

"After 17 years abroad, he returned and inspired such hope among the people that they sent him to this parliament with a massive mandate," Moni noted.

He further claimed that the premier had initiated his reform agenda with unprecedented speed -- "before the election ink on the voters' fingers could even dry".

The chief whip highlighted several key government initiatives as evidence of the prime minister's commitment to his election manifesto.

He noted the Family Card programme, which aims to make women financially self-sufficient under the economic empowerment agenda.

In the agricultural sector, he mentioned the launch of Farmer Cards on Pahela Baishakh.