Blaming her arch-rival Khaleda Zia of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami party for losing the Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP) facilities in the US market, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said the BNP chief and the Islamist party had been spreading propaganda abroad with the help of lobbyists.
The PM, however, expressed her hope that Bangladesh would get the GSP, saying the USA has to remember that they also have around US$2 billion investment in Bangladesh.
Speaking at the parliament, Hasina said no superpower but some local evil forces were responsible for the cancellation of the GSP facilities.
“The BNP and Jamaat appointed lobbyists to destroy the image of Bangladesh and cancel the GSP facilities. Besides, anti-liberation force and the collaborator of Pakistani occupation force Jamaat-e-Islami appointed lobbyists to conduct negative propaganda against Bangladesh,” Hasina said while replying to lawmakers' queries.
She said: “It was very regretful that a person who was the prime minister and opposition leader had sent a letter to the American government seeking cancellation of the GSP facilities for Bangladesh. The political leader also wrote an article in an unknown newspaper in Washington, destroying the image of Bangladesh.”
On US's investment in Bangladesh, Hasina said, “The US has to remember that before the tenure of the Awami League government in 1996 their investment in Bangladesh was only $25 million. During our tenure, their investment rose to around $1.2 billion. It happened due to the Awami League government. We've given that scope, now it's around $2 billion.
They've their investment here, they have to remember that.”
Hasina, also leader of the House, said US wanted to play with the people of Bangladesh by sending the Seventh Fleet during the Liberation War to help the Pakistani occupation forces.
“But Bangladesh achieved its liberation and they couldn't stop us from achieving our victory,” she added.