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Pursue economic diplomacy

PM asks Bangladesh envoys in Europe


Published : 21 Jul 2019 09:06 PM | Updated : 06 Sep 2020 08:26 AM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has asked Bangladeshi envoys in Europe to pursue political and economic diplomacy for the interest of Bangladesh’s economic development. “We need to focus more on economic issues besides political diplomacy so that the ongoing development process in Bangladesh continues unhindered,” she said on Saturday while speaking as the chief guest at the first-ever “Envoys’ Conference,” in London.

Sheikh Hasina told the envoys to take effective and time-befitting action plans for establishing deeper and broader relations with the foreign countries keeping pace with fast-changing world. “To this effect we need to explore opportunities for boosting investment, trade and skilled manpower export in countries particularly in Europe,” she said.

The premier said, following a massive skill development campaign Bangladesh now has a very big and skilled youth force to meet the global job markets demand. Prime Minister Hasina held discussions with the Bangladeshi envoys on various other issues and gave them necessary directives. The issues included enhancing Bangladesh’s image further in Europe, boosting trade and commerce and attracting investors to invest in Bangladesh.

Rohingya crisis and migration, celebrations of the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the Golden Jubilee of the country’s independence, were also discussed in the conference. The premier urged the envoys to provide better and faster services to expatriate Bangladeshis living in different countries in Europe.

A total of 15 Bangladesh ambassadors, high commissioners and permanent representatives posted in different countries of Europe attended the conference.
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen also spoke on the occasion while State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam, Premier’s Principal Secretary Md Nojibur Rahman and Foreign Secretary Shahidul Haque were present.

Focusing government’s various initiatives for building a skilled work force, she said they have already introduced apps for helping people learn nine different languages. She suggested the envoys to assess the markets of their respective countries of assignment and identify the barriers to bolster economic ties.
The prime minister said her government was working with specific target of making Bangladesh a developed nation by 2041 and asked the diplomats to draw their own specific targets in line with the goal.

“We have already attained over 8.1 per cent GDP growth and set a target of 8.2 percent GDP growth for the current 2019-20 financial year,” she said adding that the per capita income will reach at US$2000 in 2020. She said Bangladesh is also no more dependent on aid as “we’re sourcing over 90 per cent of Taka 5, 23,190 crore national budget from our own resources”.

The prime minster noted that some groups including those, who failed in the elections, were carrying out propaganda against Bangladesh to halt the country’s ongoing development. She categorically said that BNP raised questions against the last general election after doing “nomination trade” instead of meaningfully participation in it.

Sheikh Hasina said people in Bangladesh no more believe in propaganda, instead they put their faith in the socioeconomic development efforts and achievement of the government of Awami League. Referring to the foreign policy, enunciated by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman the prime minister said that the foreign policy of “friendship to all malice to none” put Bangladesh in a prestigious position at the global stage.

She said her government solved many contentious issues including exchange of enclaves with India through diplomatic dialogues, following this policy.
“Similarly, we hope the Rohingya issue will also be solved through discussions,” she said. Pointing to the geographical position of Bangladesh, she said the country could be a bridge between the East and the West.

The envoys who attended the conference were Abu Zafar (Austria), Mohammed Shahdat Hossain (Belgium), Muhammad Abdul Muhith (Denmark), Kazi Imtiaz Hossain (France), Imtiaz Ahmed (Germany) , Jashim Uddin (Greece), Abdus Sobhan Sikder (Italy), Sheikh Mohammed Belal ( Netherlands), Muhammad Mahfuzur Rahman (Poland) , Ruhul Alam Siddique (Portugal), Dr. S.M. Saiful Hoque (Russia), Hassan Mahmood Khandker (Spain), Nazmul Islam (Sweden), Shameem Ahsan (Switzerland) and Saida Muna Tasneem (United Kingdom).

At the conference each of the envoys made separate presentation on the activities, challenges and future plan of actions for their respective country of assignment. The prime minister arrived in London on Friday afternoon on an official visit to the United Kingdom to attend the envoys’ conference and other
programmes.