US First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton ' yesterday lauded various development efforts in Bangladesh, especially the government's Food for Education Programme, reports UNB.

"How did the project begin? I don't Ijelieve there is any such programme in the world." an official quoted Hillary Clinton as saying during a meeting with Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia.

Clinton had 15 minutes of talks with the Prime Minister at lier Hare Road office from 6:45 pm before Joining a dinner Begum Zia hosted in honour if the US FlJWtadv.

Tlw US First Lady said she was very much impressed by the ongoing development programmes in Bangladesh and called the cooperation between Ilie government and NGOs as excellent.

She acclaimed the performance of the Bangladesh Army as UN peacekeepers and ex pressed her happiness over the cooperative relations between Bangladesh Air Foice and the US Army.

Hillary Clinton said the US journalists accompanying her had widened tlieir knowledge

. about Bangladesh and were moved by the excellent works being done by Bangladeshi people.

She said she was also impressed while flying over the countryside. "I saw excellent land and cultivation here."

Briefing the US ’First Lady On her government’s develop-niFnt programmes. Begum Zia said the country’s food production would have been better had there been no scarcity of waler caused by drought in the northern part of the country.

She said the country had also experienced serious envl rpnmental degradation due to ■ffiTnaTerin wllhdfatkal of water upstream during’the dry season. ’ll is ven im|x»rt ant to re solve the problem

Tl.w i s First Lady hoped that the waler |robiem would be resolved by Bangladesh and her nelgiilxnir.

Earlier on her arrival at the Hare Road office. Hillary Clinton was received by the Prime Minister and together they gave some time to the photographers for a picture session.

Attired in black skirt and light green lops, the First Lady

also had a hiiiIii coloured scarf around her shoulders The Prime Minister was wearing a light yellow saree.

After the talks, the Prime Minister took the US First Lady to an open air dinner p.ir/y. attended by ministers MPs. diplomats, politicians, vice-chancellors of different universities. representatives of various professions, and senior civil and military officials

The Prime Minister Introduced the guests to the US First Lady.

Begum Zia. Hillary Clinton. Foreign Minister ASM Mostafizur Rahman. Dr Kamal Hossain. Prof Mohammad Yunus and US Ambassador In Dhaka David N Merrill shared the same table at the dinner