Explore marine resources maintaining friendly relations with neighbours: PM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has stressed extracting marine resources from Bangladesh’s vast maritime zones maintaining friendly relations with the neighboring countries to tap potential of the "Blue Economy" for the country's socio-economic advancement, reports BSS.

"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.

The premier 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 on Thursday morning.

She said: "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."

Sheikh Hasina 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 very important marine way as international business and trade have been continuing using this way 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.

She expressed her hope that this zone will remain peaceful for trade and commerce in the days to come.

The prime minister reiterated that Bangladesh always believe in peace, adding, "We don't want war rather 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 address of welcome.

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