The government has decided to strengthen cultural diplomacy as an important tool of soft power to enhance people-to-people contacts, promote the Bangladesh brand, and improve the country’s image abroad through cultural exchange programmes and holding cultural festivals overseas.

A meeting was held on Monday at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to discuss ways to promote Bangladesh’s cultural diplomacy worldwide.

The meeting was attended by Cultural Affairs Minister Nitai Roy Chowdhury, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam and State Minister for Cultural Affairs Ali Newaz Mahmud Khaiyam.

The Foreign Secretary, the Secretary of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, and other senior officials from both ministries also participated.

This was the first meeting of its kind organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs under the proactive initiative of the State Minister for Foreign Affairs, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The meeting discussed organizing various cultural festivals and events, such as music and dance performances, art exhibitions, book fairs, folk music programmes, culinary showcases, and visits to historical and archaeological sites, as practical initiatives to advance cultural diplomacy and contribute to revitalizing the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) process.

The meeting also reviewed existing and pending Agreements, Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs), and Cultural Exchange Programmes (CEPs) between Bangladesh and more than one hundred countries.

Decisions were taken to operationalise the existing instruments and expedite the finalization of those that remain pending.

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Both the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Cultural Affairs expressed their commitment to working in close coordination to further promote Bangladesh’s cultural diplomacy across the globe.