Visiting speakers, deputy speakers of the national parliaments of 19 countries of the IPU member states and UN Assistant Secretary General Gerda Verburg paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her official Ganobhaban residence on Sunday afternoon.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, PM’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim said the prime minister thanked the guests for electing Bangladesh as the chair of both Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU) and Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA).
Hasina welcomed them to Bangladesh to attend the five-day IPU conference being held in Dhaka.
The prime minister mentioned her government’s short, medium and long-term initiatives for the development of the country and said the government is making stride to build the country in a planned way.
The delegation lauded Hasina’s efforts in taking Bangladesh to a new height in terms of development and prosperity.
Speaker of Mali Moussa Timbine opined that Bangladesh could be a strategic partner of his country saying Mali is particularly interested in textile and agriculture sector cooperation with Bangladesh.
Chairman of the National Council of Bhutan Dr Sonam Kinga, Vice-Chairman of the National Assembly of Vietnam Tung Thi Phung, Speaker of Swedish parliament Urban Ahlin, Speaker of Mongolia Enkhbold Miyegombo, Speaker of Germany Norbert Lammert and First Deputy Speaker of Iraq Humam Baqer Abdulmaged Hammoodi were present.