All efforts on to bring BNP to JS: Muhith............

The government is making all efforts to work with the opposition, finance minister AMA Muhith said on Wednesday.

"The government will carry on its efforts to bring the opposition to parliament," Muhith told reporters after a meeting with nine European envoys in Dhaka.

"An effective parliament is a prerequisite for proper democracy," said Swedish ambassador Britt F Hagstrom, who headed the EU team.

The main opposition BNP and its allies have boycotted the new parliament since it convened in January, because of a dispute over seating order.

"We expressed the hope that the current parliament will be an effective one," Hagstrom told reporters after Wednesday's meeting.

The Swedish ambassador said talks with the finance minister centred around strengthening relations between Bangladesh and the EU countries.

"Special focus was on trade relations and development aid," said the diplomat.

On export of manpower, Hagstrom said, "Remittance sent by overseas workers play an important role in the economy of this country and, if a skillful labour resource can be built, then export of manpower will rise."

The finance minister said efforts are being taken to develop a skilled overseas workforce.

Muhith, acknowledging the European Union as a major export market, hoped that economic relations between the EU and Bangladesh would continue to be strengthened.

Accompanying Hagstrom were the Dutch, Italian, Danish, German, French and Spanish ambassadors and the head of the EU mission in Dhaka.