A distinguished panel of foreign affairs experts will attend the symposium to assess the relationship between Bangladesh and Canada in the present context and identify the challenges and opportunities for the future.
Cosmos Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Cosmos Group, will organise the symposium as part of its Ambassador’s Lecture Series that will begin at 10am at Six Seasons Hotel.
Foreign Secretary (Senior Secretary) Md Shahidul Haque will be present at the event as the chief guest while Canadian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Benoit Préfontaine will deliver a lecture on the topic.
Chairman of Cosmos Foundation Enayetullah Khan will deliver the welcome speech at the symposium to be chaired by Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, the Principal Research Fellow at the Institute of South Asian Studies, National University of Singapore, and former Foreign Affairs Adviser to Bangladesh’s previous caretaker government.
Canada’s commercial relationship with Bangladesh has grown significantly over the last 14 years and the value of bilateral merchandise trade has more than tripled from $600.5 million in 2004 to over $2.4 billion Canadian dollars in 2018, according to Canadian High Commission in Dhaka.
Canada’s response to Rohingya crisis recognises that the current situation does not have an immediate solution and will require sustained engagement for years to come.