Johan Nordenfeldt, Marshal of the Diplomatic Corps of Sweden, receives Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at Stockholm Arlanda International Airport yesterday. Photo: PID

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday sought cooperation from the developed countries, including Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), to tackle challenges of global warming.

The Bangladesh premier sought the cooperation when Director General of the SIDA Anders Nordstrom called on her at her hotel suit yesterday afternoon.

During the meeting, they discussed Bangladesh's development agendas, women empowerment, food security and the upcoming international conference on climate change scheduled to be held in Denmark.

Briefing newsmen after the meeting, Press Secretary to the Prime Minister Abul Kalam Azad said Sheikh Hasina also reiterated her unequivocal support for the proposal of British Prime Minister Gordon Brown for creation of $200 million fund to face the climate change challenges.

In this context, she mentioned that an extensive research should be conducted to find out the reasons behind the global climate change.

Sheikh Hasina talked about her government's programmes to face the challenges of the climate change, which included capital and maintenance dredging of the country's major rivers to bring back their navigability and creating green belts around the coastal belt.

In this context, she said the third world countries like Bangladesh have become victims of the global warming although they have a little contribution to the environmental change. So, the developed countries have to come forward to solve the problems and increase their cooperation in coping with the situation, she added.

Regarding the women empowerment issue, the prime minister said her government has introduced a quota system in government services and facilitated recruitment of female members to the civil administration, including Bangladesh police and army as well.

About healthcare facilities, she said in her previous tenure, the government set up 18,000 community clinics across the country to reach health services to the doorsteps of people. But, she regretted that the past BNP-Jamaat government suspended the programme. The present government has reintroduced the programme, she added.

Besides, the prime minister said steps have been taken to strengthen Election Commission, Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), Law Commission and Regulatory Reforms Commission to build a corruption-free country.

On food security in the South Asian countries, Sheikh Hasina urged all concerned to ensure food security for the South Asian nations.

Listing different pro-people programmes undertaken by her government, she said apart from this the present government has taken various measurers for development of Chittagong Hill Tracts.

During the meeting, the SIDA director general assured the Bangladesh premier of providing all-out support for facing the challenges of the climate change.

WARM WELCOME IN STOCKHOLM

Earlier, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina arrived in Stockholm to a warm welcome to attend the European Development Days events in the capital of Sweden, reports UNB.

A flight of Qatar Airways carrying the prime minister and her entourage landed at Stockholm Arlanda International Airport at 6:40am (local time) amid dense fog.

Johan Nordenfeldt, Marshal of the Diplomatic Corps of Sweden received Sheikh Hasina at the airport.

Swedish Ambassador to Dhaka Britt F Hagstrom and Bangladesh Ambassador in Sweden Imtiaz Ahmed were also present.

The prime minister and her entourage were driven straight to their designated hotel in a colourful motorcade. Several hundred Bangladeshis welcomed her at the hotel lobby.

Earlier, Sheikh Hasina left Dhaka for Doha, Qatar, en-route to Stockholm on Tuesday night by a Qatar Airways flight, which reached Doha International Airport the same night at 11:25 pm (local time).

During her four-day stay here, Hasina will attend the opening ceremony of the 4th edition of the European Development Days today (Thursday).

As per the programme schedule, the Bangladesh premier will address the plenary session of the EU Development Days titled "Climate Change: The Road to Copenhagen and Beyond" on Saturday morning.

Besides, the premier will have bilateral talks with Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, European Parliament President Jerzy Buzek, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, Ericsson President Carl-Henric Svanberg and Swedish Minister for International Development Gunilla Carlsoon.

She will have a meeting with the Speaker and MPs of the Swedish Parliament today and also attend a community reception by the Bangladeshi expatriates on Friday.

On Sunday morning, the PM will leave Stockholm for Doha to have a significant meeting with Amir of Qatar on Monday.

She will also visit a Bangladeshi school in Doha on the day. Hasina is scheduled to return to Dhaka on Tuesday afternoon.