Doha promises Dhaka larger supply of LNG

Amir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani has assured Bangladesh of providing all sorts of facilities regarding a larger supply of LNG from his country.

He gave the assurance to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during a meeting with her at the Amiri Diwan in Doha yesterday.

The two leaders discussed different issues of bilateral cooperation on energy, business, investment, manpower and development of Bangladesh.

Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen briefed the media after the meeting.

The amir said the negotiation on signing of a new contract on larger supply of energy from Qatar to Bangladesh remains pending for a few months.

The contract may be signed anytime soon, said Momen.

Amir Sheikh Tamim praised Hasina's leadership.

The premier said she has the only goal to turn Bangladesh into a developed country as dreamt by her father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

"We have progressed to some extent. But my work has not finished yet. I want to work more. But I alone can't do it. I seek your assistance. I need more investment.... You can come with investment for mutual benefits," the PM told the amir.

Hasina invited Sheikh Tamim to visit Bangladesh this year, if possible.

The amir said he would definitely visit Bangladesh.

About the fear of losing jobs among Bangladeshi workers in Qatar, the amir said 370,000 Bangladeshis are currently staying in the Gulf country and they are blessings for Qatar.

He said Qatar is going to take up new projects and the Bangladeshis will stay here.

'POLLS UNDER AL GOVT'

Yesterday, the prime minister made it clear that the next general election will be held under the Awami League government and it will be free and fair.

Hasina was speaking at a session titled "In conversation with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina" of the Qatar Economic Forum at the Raffles Doha hotel in Qatar.

Haslinda Amin, editor at-large of Qatar Economic Forum, anchored the session.

The PM's comments came at a time when the opposition BNP and its allies are staging street protests demanding the government step down to pave the way for holding the next general election under a neutral caretaker administration.

The next parliamentary polls is scheduled to be held in December this year or in the first week of January next year.

Responding to a question, Hasina said military dictators jeopardised the entire election process after the assassination of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. "The election was just a game [then]."

The premier said the AL elected her as the party president back in 1981 in her absence.

"Since then, we started the fight to restore democracy and the people's right to vote. We continued the fight to ensure free and fair polls. And we did it in each election during our rule," she added.

Hasina said she is in power to ensure people's voting right and the people will decide who will run the country.

Replying to another question, the PM said that some political parties have said they will not participate in the next general election.

"How will they participate? Because the country suffered a lot during their rule. The people also suffered. Terrorist activities increased during their tenures in power…. They never bothered about the people. It was very difficult for our people to get a meal every day. The situation was like that."

The PM said the AL ensured everything for the people after it came to power.

Hasina said many parliamentary by-elections, and local government polls were held during the rule of her government, and those were free and fair.

The PM said the government has asked all to send election observers to Bangladesh to oversee the next parliamentary polls.

Terming the BNP a party of criminals and killers, she said, "They [BNP] may not feel comfortable. But there are other parties who will participate in the election."

Hasina is now in Doha on a three-day official visit mainly to take part in the Qatar Economic Forum 2023.