Norwegian lawmaker asks Khaleda, Hasina to step down

bdpublic · Editor Joined: 30 Nov 2006 Posts: 39

Abu Saeed Khan
bdnews24.com Technology Editor

Dhaka, Dec 26 (bdnews24.com) -- Norway's Member of Parliament Saera Khan suggests a fresh political leadership to maintain the position Bangladesh has restored through Nobel Peace Prize.

"Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina should immediately step down from the parties and let new leadership to emerge," the Norwegian Labour Party lawmaker told bdnews24.com in a recent interview in Oslo.

She calls Muhammad Yunus an international hero.

"Grameen Bank's successes in microcredit prove the common people's agility to strive."

Saera blames the major political leaders as stumbling blocks and says: "Bangladesh bears the stigma of their misrule and corruption, which is unacceptable."

She says Bangladesh had been the symbol of poverty but now the world respects it and the politicians should not harm that stature.

"Dynastic leadership must end as any citizen deserves to lead Bangladesh," says Norway's first Asian-origin lawmaker.

Saera was born in Oslo on April 23, 1979. Her father, from Mymensingh, migrated to Norway in 1968 and her mother, from Dhaka, joined him in 1978.

She debuted in public office at the age of 20 as Oslo City Council member in 1999. She remained in office for six years until becoming MP from the Labour Party in 2005. Capital Oslo is her constituency.

In 2002, she acquired membership in three different bodies of the Oslo Labor Party: the Executive Committee, Central Executive Committee, and Steering Committee for Women's Issues.

In the following two years, Saera was a communication consultant in the Norwegian Refugee Council. Simultaneously she studied social economics, gender and society along with Europe and integration at the University of Oslo.

An MP since 2005, Saera has been the Standing Committee member on Local Government and Public Administration in the Norwegian Parliament.

She joined the torchlight procession that gathered in front of Oslo's Grand Hotel to greet Yunus on the evening of the Nobel Prize awarding day. There she sang and cheered along with the crowd defying the chilling wind.

"I haven't seen the birth of Bangladesh but now I witness her coronation," says the first generation Norwegian leader of Bangladeshi origin.

Saera visited Bangladesh four years ago and wants to make another trip soon.

"I will be extremely happy to see that Bangladesh government has printed philatelic items featuring Yunus," the lawmaker says.

She says the Nobel Prize has again proven Bangladesh is never short of great people. "Now they should lead the country instead for all practical purposes."

Source: bdnews24.com
http://www.bdnews24.com/details.php?cid=8&id=53945#tp53945

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