Have to use vast maritime resources for our progress: PM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today stressed on extracting marine resources from Bangladesh’s vast maritime zones maintaining friendly relations with the neighbouring countries to tap potential of the “Blue Economy” for the country’s socio-economic advancement.

“We have to explore the marine resources from the maritime areas we achieved. I believe the announcement of the blue economy will be implemented. We have to use the vast marine resources for the socio-economic development of Bangladesh,” she said.

Hasina made the remarks at a function marking the golden jubilee of enacting the law titled “The Territorial Waters and Maritime Zones Act, 1974” at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) in Dhaka this morning.

“We will have to be cautious in extracting our marine resources and in continuing business and trade using seaways maintaining our foreign policy — Friendship to all, malice to none.”

She said conflicting situations are being seen in many areas across the globe. But there is no conflict in this region, she said.

“This zone is very safe as there is no mess with each other here,” she added.

The prime minister said the Bay of Bengal is a part of the Indian Ocean and it is a very important marine route as international business and trade have been continuing on it since ancient times.

“All our countries have been doing trade and commerce equally using the seaway. International commerce is also going on. No conflict has ever been seen. I want such peaceful situation always,” she said.

The prime minister reiterated that Bangladesh always believes in peace, and said, “We don’t want war; we want peace. Peace shows the path of development and progress and helps the nation march forward.”

She said, “We will never engage in war. But, we have to have capability to protect our sovereignty.”

She later visited different stalls of the maritime stakeholders at the BICC.

State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury spoke at the function.

Secretary (Maritime Affairs Unit) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Rear Admiral (Retd) Md Khurshed Alam presented the keynote speech and Chief of Naval Staff Admiral M Nazmul Hassan gave the welcome address.

An documentary to mark the celebration of golden jubilee of adopting “The Territorial Waters and Maritime Zones Act, 1974” was screened at the function.