Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday urged the British government to lift the ban on all direct cargo flights from Dhaka to London.The Prime Minister made the call when UK Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy for Bangladesh Rushanara Ali, MP met her at her official residence Ganabhaban in the evening.After the meeting, PM’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed reporters.In response to the call, he said, Rushanara Ali told the Prime Minister that she would discuss the issue with the UK government.On March 8 last, the UK banned air cargo directly from Dhaka until further notice citing ‘security concerns’.Ihsanul Karim said the Prime Minister and the UK House of Commons member also discussed matters relating to enhancing of economic cooperation between the two countries.
About the signing of a memorandum understanding (MoU) between a British firm and Bangladesh Railway for the construction of a rail line in Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina expressed satisfaction over it.Bangladesh Railway and British company DP Rail Ltd on Tuesday signed the MoU for setting up a 240-km rail line between Dhaka and Payra seaport in Patuakhali’s Kuakata.The rail lines will cost an estimated Tk 60,000 crore, to be provided by the British company, said railway officials, adding that the final cost of the mega project will be determined after a feasibility study.Sheikh Hasina sought more UK investment in Bangladesh’s different potential sectors.Talking about the election of three Bangladeshi-origin MPs to the British House of Commons, the Prime Minister said, “She is proud of seeing three Bangladeshi daughters in the British parliament.”Tulip Rizwana Siddiq, a granddaughter of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and a niece of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Rushnara Ali, hailing from Biswanath in Sylhet, and Dr Rupa Huq, hailing from Pabna, were elected MPs from Labour Party in the May 7, 2015 UK general election.PM’s Principal Secretary Dr Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury, PMO Secretary Suraiya Begum and British High Commissioner in Dhaka Alison Blake were present at the meeting.
source:UNB
