<div style="text-align: justify; "><b style="font-size: 1rem;">French Ambassador to Bangladesh Marie Masdupuy today said her country is interested to invest in Bangladesh's waste management system, claiming that France's waste management is atop in the world.</b><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The France envoy said this when she paid a courtesy call on Local Government, Rural Development (LGRD) and Cooperatives Minister Md Tazul Islam at his ministry office in the Secretariat here, said a press release.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Masdupuy invited the LGRD minister and other officials concerned to visit France to learn about waste management in that country.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">During the meeting, Tazul said since Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina assumed power in 1996, there has been a revolutionary change in women's empowerment.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">He said appointing of women to various important positions, including judges of the Supreme Court, Speaker of the Parliament, Deputy Commissioners and Superintendents of Police, has been ensured.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The minister told Masdupuy that the socio-economic development of the country has been possible due to the various measures taken by the current government.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Bangladesh is moving forward under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina with the aim of building a developed and Smart Bangladesh by 2041. In this progress, demand in power, water, agriculture, energy and industrial sectors will increase day by day," Tazul said.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Urging the French businessmen to invest in these sectors in Bangladesh, he said this will strengthen the relationship between the two countries and benefit the people of both countries.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The minister said the government is making multi-pronged efforts to increase the income of the rural people as it will help increase the revenue collection, which will strengthen the national economy.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;">He requested the France envoy to invest in various projects for the development of the rural economy.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Senior officials of the Local Government Division were present at the meeting. BSS</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>