Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen thanked the Intergovernmental Committee and the UNESCO Secretariat for supporting Bangladesh in inscribing Rickshaw and Rickshaw Painting in Dhaka as Bangladesh’s fifth element of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

At the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Momen on Thursday welcomed and received the credentials of Susan Vize, newly appointed Head of the UNESCO Office and UNESCO Representative to Bangladesh.

Also read: Reviving the Rickshaw Art through the Lens of Gender-Diverse Communities

Through Vize, Foreign Minister Momen also conveyed his appreciation to the World Heritage Committee and UNESCO Secretariat for recognizing Bangladesh’s efforts to protect the outstanding universal value of the Sundarbans and allowing six year timeline to submit the next State of Conservation report.

Momen recalled with appreciation of UNESCO’s support for initiating this UNESCO-Bangladesh Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman International Prize in the field of Creative Economy.

He also underscored Bangladesh’s commitment to engage more deeply with Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) Regional Committee for the Central Indian Ocean (IOC-INDIO) as the current Chair of the IOC.  

The UNESCO representative to Bangladesh thanked the Foreign Minister for accepting her credentials and noted that UNESCO always believed in strengthening its cooperation with Bangladesh.

Also read: Dhaka's rickshaws and rickshaw paintings enlisted as UNESCO heritage

Foreign Minister Momen wished her success in delivering her responsibilities and assured her of all out support of the government in discharging her duties in Bangladesh.

Susan Vize, a national of Australia, has a long reputable career at the UNESCO.

Before joining her new role, Vize was the Regional Advisor for Social and Human Sciences Asia-Pacific at the UNESCO Regional Office for Education in Bangkok.

Also read: Dhaka's rickshaws and rickshaw paintings enlisted as UNESCO heritage