United News of Bangladesh

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Saturday invited Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to visit Bangladesh in the near future. “He (the PM) extended an invitation to President Erdoğan to visit Bangladesh at a mutually convenient time in the near future,” said a press release issued by the Prime Minister’s Press Wing following visiting Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan’s meeting with Tarique Rahman. The meeting was held at the Prime Minister’s Office in the city’s Tejgaon area, marking the final engagement of the Turkish Foreign Minister’s three-day official visit to Bangladesh. The Prime Minister thanked the Turkish Foreign Minister for undertaking the visit. Visiting Turkish Foreign Minister Fidan conveyed President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's greetings to Prime Minister Rahman. Fidan said his visit constituted the first step towards elevating Bangladesh–Türkiye relations to a strategic level. During the meeting, Bangladesh and Türkiye agreed to hold annual Foreign Office Consultations at the level of Foreign Ministers. They also decided that annual 2+2 consultations would be held involving the Foreign and Defence Ministers of both sides in order to further deepen strategic relations. Besides, with a view to further strengthening political, economic and strategic cooperation between the two countries, a consultation mechanism in the form of a committee would be established under the respective Foreign Ministers, which would involve the relevant ministries of each side.

In a move for international sports diplomacy, Bangladesh and Türkiye have officially signed a comprehensive Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the field of sports. State Minister for Youth and Sports Md Aminul Hoque and Osman Askin Bak, Minister for Youth and Sports of Türkiye signed the MoU on behalf of their respective filed, marking a new era of friendship, focusing on youth development, professional athletic exchange, and the modernisation of sports governance between the two brotherly nations. The MoU outlined a multifaceted framework for collaboration, prioritising the exchange of knowledge and expertise. Both nations committed to reciprocal visits of senior officials and experts to share best practices in the organisation and financing of major sports competitions. Meanwhile, the MoU emphasised the management and financing of world-class sports infrastructure, ensuring that both countries can benefit from shared technical data and teaching materials. In a significant commitment to social inclusion, the MoU highlighted the exchange of best practices for support programs and sports accessibility for persons with impairments and ensuring the highest standards of integrity and ethics in their respective sporting environment. This milestone MoU is expected to significantly boost the performance of athletes on the global stage while fostering a deeper cultural understanding through the universal language of sports.