Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus on Sunday asked Norway to make Bangladesh a regional distribution hub of their products and invest more in the country to take the benefits of Bangladesh’s youth force.

“Use Bangladesh as a base for distributing Norwegian products in Asia so that you don’t need to bring your people from Norway and can use our young people,” Dr Yunus told Hakon Arald Gulbrandsen, Norwegian Ambassador to Bangladesh, when the latter met him.

The Chief Adviser cited the example of Grameenphone, the first overseas entity of Norwegian telecom giant Telenor, which has over the years turned into the most profitable venture in the Telenor family.

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Ambassador Gulbrandsen handed over a letter from Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, expressing strong support of the country for Bangladesh’s interim government.

“The Prime Minister has strong support for your efforts to initiate much-needed reforms and conduct free and fair democratic elections,” the ambassador said.

The ambassador conveyed the Norwegian Prime Minister’s appreciation of Bangladesh’s interim government’s commitment to protecting human rights and promoting environmental sustainability.

Ambassador Gulbrandsen said that Norway was keen to work closely with Bangladesh in the ship recycling industry and in the green energy transition.

The Chief Adviser also sought Norway’s support in resolving the Rohingya crisis amid the changed political situation in Myanmar. “Norway played a big role in peacekeeping. So, we need your help in resolving the Rohingya crisis,” he said.

The Chief Adviser told the ambassador that the government was planning to make the next general election in Bangladesh “the best ever and historic.”

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“We want to make it an example, a historical example,” he told the ambassador.

Ambassador Gulbrandsen said Norway was keen to work closely with Bangladesh in international forums on the Palestinian issue, international tax and plastic pollution.

Marrianne Rabe Knaevelsrud, Norway’s Deputy Head of Mission in Dhaka, expressed her country’s gratitude to Bangladesh for sponsoring the Norwegian-led UN resolution on humanitarian access in Palestine.

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