Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday said the people of Bangladesh are enjoying democracy now as the Awami League has come to power for the fourth consecutive term.

The PM remarked while Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Secretary General Indra Mani Pandey called on her at her office in Parliament on Tuesday.

The prime minister said that there was a time when the country had plunged under military rules. She termed people of the country as one of her strengths.

Hasina mentioned that the government has always put emphasis on rural development.

“I requested all to engage in food production in whatever way they can,” she said.

She also said that Bangladesh and BIMSTEC will work together to achieve the common goals.

The prime minister said that India has always been a friendly country to Bangladesh.

The BIMSTEC secretary general congratulated the prime minister on her re-election and expressed satisfaction regarding the activities of Bangladesh with BIMSTEC.

The prime minister said that Bangladesh plans to complete the construction work of the proposed BIMSTEC secretariat building within three years with the objective of inaugurating it by the BIMSTEC leaders during the 7th Summit to be held in Dhaka.

She mentioned that the areas of cooperation under BIMSTEC have been restructured and brought down to seven sectors with a lead country for each sector.

Trade, investment and development is one of the most important sectors of BIMSTEC cooperation and Bangladesh is the lead country in this sector, she said.

Hasina reiterated that Bangladesh stands ready to assume more responsibilities in the BIMSTEC process after the 6th Summit upon assumption of the chairmanship of the Group.