Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday underlined the need for boosting Bangladesh’s trade with Brazil for mutual benefit.
“There is immense scope to increase bilateral trade between the two countries,” she said while a high level delegation of Brazil led by its Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira called on her at her office.
PM’s Speech Writer M Nazrul Islam later told reporters that Hasina also put emphasis on strengthening the bilateral relationship between Bangladesh and Brazil.
“Bangladesh imports sugar, soybean oil and cotton from Brazil while Bangladesh only exports small amount of RMG products to Brazil. The balance of trade is highly favours Brazil,” she was quoted as telling the delegation.
She suggested that Brazil imports products like jute, jute goods, leather and leather goods from Bangladesh.
“You can also import more RMG products directly averting third party to make it affordable,” she said.
The prime minister recalled that Brazil was the first country in South America to recognise Bangladesh on May 15 in 1971 after the country’s independence following the War of Liberation.
She noted that Bangladesh and Brazil share same opinion and take same stance in the international forums.
Expressing her interest in Brazilian football the prime minister said Brazil, which won the World Cup for five times, can help improve the game in Bangladesh.
Foreign minister Vieira handed over an invitation of Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to the PM to attend the final meeting of the G20 Task Force for the creation of Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty in Rio de Janerio on 24th July. The prime minister accepted the invitation.
The G20 is made up of 19 countries and the EU. The 19 countries are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, France, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Mexico, the Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the UK, and the US. Brazil holds the Presidency in 2024.
Vieira raised the issue of Israeli aggression in Gaza and praised Bangladesh’s stance against the genocide being committed there.
He said that Brazil also holds the same position and highly appreciated Sheikh Hasina’s bold stance.
In reply Hasina said that what the Israeli forces are doing in Gaza is genocide.
“They (Israel) have violated all kinds of international norms, they bombed hospitals, continue killing in the shelter camps. This is not a war, it is genocide,” she said.
She mentioned that Israeli forces are not sparing children, women and elderly people.
The visiting Brazilian minister highly appreciated Bangladesh’s socioeconomic development under the leadership of PM Hasina.
“We want to share the development experience of Bangladesh, we want to use it for the development of our country,” he said.
He mentioned that both Bangladesh and Brazil have the same number of population and are fighting poverty and hunger.
The Brazilian FM presented a jersey of Brazil National Football Team to the prime minister that has her name printed on the back.
In his maiden visit to Bangladesh the FM is leading a 29-member delegation of high officials business people.