Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud on Sunday said Bangladesh’s becoming a Sectoral Dialogue Partner (SDP) to the ASEAN will benefit both ASEAN and Bangladesh through extended trade and investment engagements, enhanced people-to-people contact and exchange of best practices. 

To that end, he requested the members of the ASEAN to support Bangladesh’s bid to become the Sectoral Dialogue Partner to the ASEAN preferably by next ASEAN Summit to be held in Vientiane in October 2024. 

The members of ASEAN Dhaka Committee (ADC) met the Foreign Minister and congratulated him on his assumption of office as the Foreign Minister of Bangladesh. 

The member of ADC assured the Foreign Minister to favor Bangladesh’s intent in becoming the SDP to the ASEAN. 

The ADC is an informal platform formed by the Heads of Missions of Dhaka-based eight ASEAN resident Missions namely Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines and Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. 

During the meeting, the Foreign Minister stressed that the ASEAN countries should harness long-standing historical, cultural and religious linkages with Bangladesh by forging mutually beneficial economic ties. 

While emphasizing ASEAN’s favourable trade gap with Bangladesh, he highlighted the need for enhanced role from the private sectors both at bilateral and multilateral level to reap the benefit of the immense trade and investment potentials.

The Foreign Minister also suggested the Heads of Missions to encourage their companies to invest in Bangladesh Economic Zones in many sectors such as pharmaceuticals, leather products. 

He sought support from the members of the ADC to address the issue of initiating the repatriation process of 1.2 million Forcibly Displaced Myanmar Nationals.