Export earnings up by Tk 152 cr in 3 yrs

Industries Minister Tofail Ahmed said the country's export earnings jumped to aobut Tk 532 crore in 1999 from nearly Tk 380 crore in the year 1996, reports BSS.

"We are the 5th largest readymade garments exporting country in the US and 6th in EEC market," said tofail ahmed. He said forieign investment in the country was higher than that of many Asian nations though the volume of foreign investment might not be very high. The minsiter said these while addressing the launching ceremony of a rpivate insurance company at a local hotel in the city on Wednsday night.

Communication Minister Anwar Hossain, Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr Mohammad Farasuddin Chairman of the Insurance Association MA Samad and Managing Director of the new insurance fiens Paramount Insurance Co Ltd - MA Hamid spoke on the occasion with chairman of the compnay Mohammad Shakhawat Hossain in the chair.

Tofail said, "we fought for achieving a sovereign Bangladehs in 1971 at the call of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Now we are fighting for achieving econoic emancipation under the able leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina," he added.

He said the present government has signed the Ganges water sharing treaty with India, CHT peace accord and successfully faced the century's worst flooding in 1998 and saved life of millions of people.

Referring to the present political scenario of the country, Tofail said that some sested quarters were creating obstacles to foil the on-going development process, destabilising the peaceful democratic atmosphere of the country by calling frequent hartals.

"In democracy, the fate of the government is determined by people's mandate," he said, adding people have given the present governemnt the verdict to rule the country for five year.s If they wish they can reject us withdrawing their support in the next general election."

Communications Minsiter Anwar Hossain called upon the poltical parties to shun the politics of gherao and hartal for creating smooth business atmosphere in the country and hoped that the new generation would be able to bring postive changes in the business arena.

The minsiter said professionalism is the prerequisite for any trade, especially in insurance business.