Dhaka: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday said a great awareness has now been created among the people of Bangladesh against terrorism as they are strongly saying ‘No’ to this deadly menace.

“We’ve also taken necessary measures to combat terrorism,” she said when Vietnamese Ambassador to Bangladesh Nguyen Quang Thue paid a farewell call on her at her office in the morning.

After the meeting, PM’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed reporters.

Terming Vietnam as a great country, Sheikh Hasina said both Bangladesh and Vietnam have a common history as they fought for independence. “Unfortunately, we lost our Father of the Nation within three and half years of our independence,” UNB quoted her as saying.

The Prime Minister said her party Bangladesh Awami League returned to power after long 21 years and started working for the development of the country, particularly to free people from the curse of poverty.

She put emphasis on taking measures to further boost trade and businesses between the two countries. “We’ve a big market and we’ll have to explore it.”

The Prime Minister stressed the need for strengthening connectivity in the greater interest of the two countries and exchanging visits between the political leaders to further consolidate ties between the two countries.

Recalling her visit to Vietnam in 2012, Hasina said she was highly impressed to see the development of the Southeast Asian country.

Terming Bangladesh a successful and important country in South Asia, the outgoing Vietnamese envoy also highly lauded the continued economic progress of Bangladesh alongside the dynamic and able leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Quang Thue expressed his gratitude to the Prime Minister for extending cooperation to him while discharging his duties during his tenure in Bangladesh saying that Vietnam has a traditional friendship with Bangladesh.

“We give the highest priority to our relationship with Bangladesh,” he said adding that the existing bilateral relations and cooperation between the two countries would be further strengthened in the coming days.

PM’s International Affairs Advisor Dr Gowher Rizvi and Principal Secretary Abul Kalam Azad were present.