Hasina wants connectivity among Asian nations

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday put emphasis on increasing connectivity and cooperation among the Asian nations for the interest of the people of this region.
The prime minister expressed the views when former Cambodian prime minister and president of Funcinpec, a Cambodian royal party, Norodom Ranariddh paid a courtesy call on her at hotel Sofitel in Phonm Penh in the morning.
After the meeting, PM’s additional press secretary M Nazrul Islam briefed reporters.
He said the two leaders discussed the issues of boosting regional connectivity and the people-to-people contact among the Asian countries.
The prime minister said Bangladesh could work as a bridge between the East and West. ‘That’s why we’ve taken an initiative to build a new international airport near Dhaka,’ she said.
She said the Cox’s Bazar Airport will be turned into an international airport to increase connectivity between Bangladesh and Southeast Asian nations.
Norodom Ranariddh, also the half brother of the current Cambodian King, expressed gratitude to the prime minister for naming a road in Dhaka after the name of former Cambodian king late Norodom Sihanouk.
The prime minister thanked the Cambodian government and the people for naming a road in Phnom Penh after the name of the country’s founding president, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Sheikh Hasina and Ranariddh, a former president of the National Assembly of Cambodia, recalled their previous meetings held on different occasions including the conference of parliamentarians of Asian countries in Dhaka.
Foreign minister AH Mahmood Ali, civil aviation and tourism minister Rashed Khan Menon, PM’s principal secretary Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury, principal coordinator on SDG at Prime Minister’s Office Md Abul Kalam Azad and foreign secretary Md Shahidul Haque were present, among others.
Meanwhile, prime minister Sheikh Hasina returned home on Tuesday afternoon concluding her three-day official visit to Cambodia at the invitation of her Cambodian counterpart Hun Sen. 
A VVIP flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines carrying prime minister Sheikh Hasina and members of her entourage landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 4:35pm. 
Bangladesh and Cambodia signed an agreement and nine memorandums of understanding to boost trade and investment relations, and enhance cooperation in various fields like tourism, agriculture, civil aviation, ICT and technical education during the prime minister’s visit to the Southeast Asian country. 
Sheikh Hasina led the Bangladesh side at the official talks with Cambodia. She also had a royal audience with king of Cambodia Norodom Sihamon. She joined a business dialogue arranged by the Cambodian Chamber and attended an official dinner hosted by the Cambodian premier. 
The Bangladesh premier placed a wreath at the Independence Monument at Phnom Penh. She paid homage to the late king of Cambodia Norodom Sihanouk by laying a wreath at his Royal Memorial Statue. 
Former Cambodian prime minister and president of Funcinpec, a Cambodian royal party, Norodom Ranariddh paid a courtesy call on her in her hotel suite. 
Official sources said Bangladesh prime minister’s visit to Cambodia helped increase connectivity and cooperation among Bangladesh and Cambodia in the interest of the people of the two countries as well as the region. 

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net