Asian Development Bank (ADB) Vice President Yingming Yang has said he is encouraged to see Bangladesh’s advanced preparation for the post-LDC graduation era, including adequately dealing with the financing and market access challenges that will also be outlined in the next five-year plan. “I have noticed a strong drive for meaningful reforms to address medium-term economic and development challenges,” he told UNB in an exclusive interview on Thursday before wrapping up his Bangladesh visit. The vice-president who is responsible for the management of the operations of ADB’s Central and West Asia Department and South Asia Department, said the sincerity of the government in building resilience to climate change, which will help mitigate macroeconomic and fiscal risks, is laudable. Revenue-based fiscal consolidation, quality infrastructure and human capital development, diversification of trade, increasing foreign direct investment, lowering financial sector vulnerabilities along with the reduction of non-performing loans, enhancing investment climate, and strengthening governance are widely discussed and prioritised, Yang said.

Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh, Yao Wen, has said the Global Development Initiative (GDI), a twin sister of BRI, is aimed at supporting the timely achievement of all 17 goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by revitalizing global development partnership and promoting stronger, greener and healthier global development. “We hope that Bangladesh would make good use of China’s aid, preferential loans, and the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund to actively carry out policy dialogue, experience sharing, capacity building and practical cooperation,” the envoy told UNB during his first interview  since his arrival here late last year. Chinese President Xi Jinping put forward GDI at the United Nations in 2021. Rohingya Genocide Case at ICJ: US shares info with The Gambia The Global Development Initiative promotes international cooperation in eight priority areas, namely poverty alleviation, food security, pandemic response and vaccines, financing for development, climate change and green development, industrialization, digital economy and connectivity in the digital-era, said the ambassador. “All these are also the focus of Bangladesh in its Vision 2041 perspective plan,” he said. According to the United Nations, over 100 countries and international organizations have expressed their support to the GDI and 68 countries have joined the Group of Friends of the GDI at the UN. In July, the first high-level meeting of the Global Action Forum for Shared Development was held in Beijing, with more than 800 guests from 158 countries and international organizations attending online and offline. Minister of Planning MA Mannan took part in the event on behalf of Bangladesh. China bans seafood from Japan after the Fukushima nuclear plant begins its wastewater release Priorities Ahead Bangladesh and China will celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties in 2025. “It would be a perfect occasion to review achievements in the past and map forward for the future,” the ambassador said. He promised that China would do its part to help Bangladesh graduate from the LDC status by 2026, and fuel joint development to achieve respective national dreams which are “well-connected”. “Practical cooperation is the cornerstone of China-Bangladesh relations. While implementing projects agreed during high-level visits back in 2016 and 2019, we will take the initiative with Bangladesh to figure out more under the Belt and Road Initiative and the Global Development Initiative on connectivity infrastructure, renewable energy, blue economy, digital empowerment, so on and so forth,” said the Chinese envoy. China to support Bangladesh in joining BRICS: XI tells Hasina during talks In terms of trade, he said, local exporters are encouraged to fully leverage China’s 98 percent zero-tariff treatment for Bangladeshi products and showcase the “Made in Bangladesh” brand on expositions held in China, such as China International Import Expo, China-South Asia Expo and Canton Fair. The Chinese Economic and Industrial Zone in Chattogram should eye high-end and high-value industries to serve the Smart Bangladesh development strategy as well as the high-quality development paradigm of China, he said. “We’d encourage Chinese entrepreneurs to increase investment in promising fields like new energy, ICT, advanced manufacturing, and agri-product processing,” Ambassador Yao said, adding that he would also push forward the cooperation on disaster management and relief, military exchanges, law enforcement coordination and maritime cooperation during his tenure in Dhaka. “Of course, as the Chinese ambassador, I’d play my role in mediating between Bangladesh and Myanmar to facilitate early and sustainable repatriation of displaced people from the Rakhine State,” he said. Producing Green Energy Responding to a question, the envoy said China, a key contributor to the Paris Agreement, pledged to peak its carbon dioxide emissions by 2030, and to reach carbon neutrality by 2060. “By 2035, China will broadly establish eco-friendly ways of work and life, lower carbon emissions after reaching a peak, improve the environment and largely accomplish the goal of developing a ‘Beautiful China’,” he added. UN Security Council, minus China and Russia, condemns Myanmar military's killing of civilians Bangladesh also faces critical challenges of environmental degradation and climate change. “Fortunately, the country has become well aware of the gravity of these issues, and has taken plausible actions,” the Chinese envoy said, noting that the Mujib Climate Prosperity Plan (MCPP) adopted in 2020 plays a key role in guiding the country’s development paradigm into the track of green transition by 2030. “As Bangladesh and China converge on environmental goals, significant potentials emerge for the two countries to synergize on green development strategies, thereby building a shared human community in harmony with nature,” said Ambassador Yao. “In fact, we’ve already kickstarted cooperation in this regard. When I visited Cox’s Bazar a few months ago, I saw photovoltaic panels of Chinese brand on top of many roofs. A wind farm project is also being built there by Chinese contractors,” he added. Next Generation of Green Traffic It was reported that Bangladesh had its first electric vehicle (EV) charging station installed in Dhaka earlier this month. “I read it in the newspaper. But there are only 35 EV registered in Bangladesh for the time being. That is a negligible amount compared to the 170 million population of Bangladesh,” he said. China is a key designer and manufacturer of EV. There are over 16 million EV and mixed-fuel vehicles running on the roads in China, and the number is still soaring. “We would encourage more Chinese EV manufacturers to come to Bangladesh, explore the local market, and meet the demands of Bangladeshi people, thereby helping Bangladesh transit towards the next generation of green traffic,” said the ambassador.

Preparations for Bangladesh's national budget for the 2023-24 fiscal must balance expectations in an election year with the conditions of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and tackle inflation, foreign exchange crisis and revenue shortfall. Balancing public satisfaction and protecting the economy is a major issue. Economists say it has been seen in the past that election year budgets often prioritise public satisfaction over the improvement of the economy. As such, the opportunity to deliver a budget that is satisfactory is very limited, said macroeconomist and public policy analyst Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya, who is also a Distinguished Fellow at the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD). Read more: Safeguards are needed to protect vulnerable people under IMF-backed reforms: Debapriya He told UNB, "Before the election, all governments want to give a budget that satisfies the people. But due to the financial situation, fiscal deficit, and trade deficit, the opportunity is very limited for the government. If such a big effort is made, it will have a negative impact on the overall economy." "It is important to remember that this budget will be implemented by two governments. In this budget, flexibility must also be preserved. Because, if the government makes any big promises, there is doubt as to how much they can implement," he pointed out. Dr Debapriya said that the budget is coming at a time of political uncertainty in the country. Plus exit from LDC, and the Covid-19 response revival are issues hanging over the budget. Also read: 11pc of Bangladesh budget allocated for disaster risk reduction: State Minister “Compared to any other year, this year's budget has to be prepared in a very complicated situation. Because earlier, there would be a deficit in terms of income and expenditure in the country, but there would be comparative relief in terms of foreign transactions. But this time it is not,” he opined. Dr Debapriya said, "There has been a major disruption in the growth rate. It is going down further because there is no money, no dollar. There is a huge deficit in both areas to be dealt with together.” So the government has to control imports and limit its investment program. As a result, next year's growth target should also be moderated. Read more: Despite many challenges, Bangladesh remains one of the fastest growing economies in Asia-Pacific: Visiting IMF team "The financial structure has actually weakened," he said. Executive Director of the South Asian Network on Economic Modeling (SANEM) Salim Raihan, also a professor of economics at Dhaka University (DU), said that in the previous election years, the economy was not in such a crisis as this time. "As a result, no new major pressure was created in the economy despite budgeting for public satisfaction at that time. But this time, if the budget is made considering only public satisfaction in view of the election, it will create new pressure on the economy," Professor Raihan said. Read more: Bangladesh’s GDP growth rate will overtake China’s in current fiscal year, IMF predicts

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday (May 15, 2023) apprehend that frequent climate-induced disasters may disrupt Bangladesh’s smooth transition from the LDC to developing country. “Bangladesh has been recommended for graduation from the LDC by 2026. However, the frequent climate-induced disasters may disrupt our smooth transition. Climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction are, therefore, policy priorities of my government,” she said. The Prime Minister expressed her apprehension in her pre-recorded video speech that was played in the 79th Annual Session of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) on "Accelerating Climate Action in Asia and the Pacific for Sustainable Development" held in Bangkok, Thailand. Also Read: Almost 3000 shanties damaged, but Rohingya camps spared the worst of Mocha She said that Bangladesh has been hosting 1.2 million forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals. “Their overdue presence not only poses a serious security threat but also triggers a severe environmental degradation,” she said. She reiterated her call to take concerted efforts to send them back to their homes in Myanmar.  Hasina put forward four proposals for UNESCAP for the betterment of the world to face the climate change. Read More: Climate Change: Leaders gather at annual UN policy forum in Bangkok to tackle the most daunting threat The proposals are: -Climate-vulnerable developing countries, especially in Asia and the Pacific, require adequate finances to implement their NAP as well as to achieve NDC targets. -International Support Measures of knowledge sharing, technology transfer and innovation-driven trade and investment are to be placed for transition towards climate resilience growth for the graduating countries. -Trade facilitation measures, digital trade and IT-enabled services should be available in the developing countries to deal with the Fourth Industrial Revolution and mitigate the challenges of climate change. -Sub-regional cooperation is to be strengthened, especially accelerating the current partnership and developing new partnerships, for promoting the climate actions for sustainable development in Asia and the Pacific. The prime minister said that climate change is the real challenge of this time. The Asia and Pacific region, home to 60 percent of the world's population, is highly vulnerable to climate change. Also Read: Cyclone Mocha: 10,000 houses damaged in Cox's Bazar, inc 1200 in St Martin She said that this region is facing natural calamities like floods, cyclones, heat waves and droughts in an increased rate due to the impacts of climate change affecting lives and livelihoods. PM Hasina mentioned that Bangladesh is one of the most climate-vulnerable countries in the world although its contribution to global emission is very negligible. “Our development programs, therefore, focus on addressing climate-resilient development efforts,” she told the conference. She said that her government has established 'Bangladesh Climate Change Trust Fund in 2009’ to help vulnerable communities. About 851 projects costing around half a billion US dollars have so far been executed under the fund. Read More: Many countries can learn from Bangladesh’s approaches to reducing poverty, empowering women, adapting to climate change: WB President In October 2022, she said, Bangladesh has submitted the National Adaptation Plan-NAP to UNFCCC. It has identified 113 interventions across 8 priority areas with a costing outlay of around 230 billion US dollar up to 2050. “Bangladesh has also submitted an ambitious and updated Nationally Determined Contributions-NDC to the UNFCCC in 2021.” She mentioned that the government has adopted the 'Bangladesh Delta Plan 2100', a 100-year strategic plan, for achieving a safe, climate-resilient prosperous delta. She said that Bangladesh is also implementing the 'Mujib Climate Prosperity Plan spanning from 2022 to 2041 with the vision of setting Bangladesh's development trajectory from vulnerability to resilience. “Let us join our hands together to consolidate our partnership to fight against the perilous threats of Climate Change and make the world a safer and better place for our future generation,” she said. Read More: Fakhrul slams govt for alleged inaction on climate change impact

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday asked the international community to seriously consider the proposals for extension of LDC-specific support measures like preferential market access and the TRIPS waiver for a certain period after graduation. “Graduating LDCs need extension of LDC-specific support measures, such as preferential market access and the TRIPS waiver for a certain period after graduation," she said. The PM said, "The LDC Group in WTO has already placed its proposals on these issues. Those proposals should be seriously considered by the international community, especially given the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine." The premier was addressing as a co-chair in a high-level thematic roundtable entitled “Enhancing the participation of Least Developed Countries (LDCs) in International Trade and Regional Integration’ held during the Fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDC-5 Conference) at Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC) here in Doha.  Hasina said “We need to re-double our efforts to achieve the targets that we have set for ourselves in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and in the Doha Programme of Action. This requires concerted efforts at national, regional, and global levels,” She hoped that this roundtable session would assess the state-of-play of international support measures against the challenges that LDCs are currently facing.  “Our approach and commitments should be pragmatic, realistic, and well-designed to enhance LDCs' productive capacity,” she said. She said trade will continue to remain a key driver of development for graduating and graduated LDCs. “You would perhaps recall that the Istanbul Programme of Action aspired to double the LDCs’ trade share. However, their share of trade still remains as low as 1%,” she added. Read more: Bangladeshi diplomats have to be active in strengthening economic diplomacy: PM in Doha “To be competitive in the global market, LDCs must focus on enhancing their trade-related infrastructure, building productive capacity, and utilizing preferential market access. For achieving these objectives, LDCs require support and investment for connectivity, human capital, trade finance and technology transfer,” said the premier. Focusing on Bangladesh, she said her government has placed significant emphasis on improving national and cross-border connectivity by constructing a multimodal transport system. “It will reduce costs, enhance efficiency, and promote regional and international trade,” she said “We are also implementing various initiatives aimed at developing skills, increasing productivity, improving intellectual property regime, and enhancing our competitiveness,” she added. The PM said her government’s policy is to engage the private sector to participate in national development. “Working hand in hand, we have so far brought the country to the present stage of LDC graduation. Our near-term priority is to ensure smooth and sustainable graduation,” she said. President of the Republic of Burundi Évariste Ndayishimiye was another co-chair of the high-level event. Heads of state and government, and ministers from different countries, representatives of observers, relevant entities of the United Nations system and other accredited intergovernmental organizations, among others, participated in the event.  

Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today (March 06, 2023) sought five key support from development partners to ensure a smart, innovative and knowledge-based society that will help to promote peace and inclusivity. The prime minister made the call at a side event, titled “Investment in Research and Development in LDCs for Smart and Innovative Societies”, at the 5th UN LDC Conference held at Qatar National Convention Center. Read More: LDC5 Conference: PM Hasina leaves Dhaka for Doha The key supports are: 1. Provide appropriate incentives to the international private sector for impactful technology transfer to LDCs, including for climate action. 2. Invest in digital infrastructures to reduce broadband divide and tech discrimination in LDCs. 3. Foster collaboration among research professionals and institutes to address issues and challenges facing LDCs. 4. Continuation of LDC waivers under TRIPS Agreement, also beyond graduation, especially for pharmaceuticals and agro-chemicals. 5. Support in developing an intellectual property regime conducive to both innovation and development in LDCs. Read more: Bangladesh open to Qatar’s investment in energy sector: PM tells Doha Investment Summit She also apprised the participants of her goal to go much further, to the next vision — ‘Smart Bangladesh’ by 2041. “It will be based on four core elements: Smart Citizen, Smart Government, Smart Society and Smart Economy,” she said. Sheikh Hasina said that in 2009, when her government made a pledge to the people to build a ‘Digital Bangladesh’ by 2021, at the time, it sounded like a tall order. “But, the Covid-19 pandemic proved that we could fulfill that pledge.” Read More: Graduating LDCs want to make sure growth momentum isn’t slowed down: PM in Doha conference She said that the pandemic reminded all that LDCs cannot wait to invest in scientific research and technological innovation. “Such investments are a must for advancing their economies through productive capacity building,” she said. She mentioned that LDCs average GDP expenditure for research and development still remains below 0.6 percent. Only a handful of them feature in the Global Innovation Index. “But, LDCs cannot afford to lag behind with the advent of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Our young people should be made part of the future of work. We need meaningful global partnership for that,” she said. Read More: Private sector should prepare to face challenges of LDC graduation, FBCCI president says at AGM Sheikh Hasina said that Bangladesh qualified for LDC graduation in 2021 under all three criteria. “We are now preparing for graduation in 2026. During this transition, investment in science, technology and innovation is a priority for our government. We are working with the UN Technology Bank for LDCs on a national needs assessment,” she said. She said that the government attaches importance to promoting a scientific mindset in the education system. “We have established a host of science and technology universities and specialized institutes around the country,” she said. Read More: Switzerland to work with all Bangladeshi stakeholders for a ‘smooth, inclusive, sustainable’ LDC graduation Sheikh Hasina said that the government has introduced the Bangabandhu Science and Technology Fellowship and National Science and Technology Fellowship. The PM said that the new focus on blended education is aimed at developing IT skills for all. In this regard, she said that Sheikh Russel Digital Labs and Schools of Future are being set up across educational institutions. Bangladesh now has the world’s second largest community of registered IT freelancers. A new Institute of Frontier Technology is in the making for supporting high-end research and development. She mentioned that following the launch of Bangabandhu-I communication satellite, the government is now planning for an earth observation satellite. Read More: PM Sheikh Hasina arrives in Qatar to join UN conference on LDCs “Bangladesh had to invest in improving early warning and weather forecast systems to drastically reduce natural disaster risks,” she added. Sheikh Hasina said that the government has worked on home-grown climate adaptation measures, including through technological applications. “We also need access to mitigation technologies to further curb greenhouse gas emissions. Our government is building two nuclear power plants as part of a clean energy transition. We aim to increase our share of renewable energy, preferably with floating solar panels, offshore wind turbines and green hydrogen.” She said that the government has given emphasis on supporting agricultural research which made it possible for Bangladesh to combat hunger and become largely food secure. Read More: Int'l community must renew commitment for real structural transformation in LDCs: PM in Doha conference “We are investing further in making our agriculture and livestock environment-friendly. We stand ready to share our good practices with other LDCs through various means, including contract farming.” Talking about the government's present focus on enhancing scope for medical research, she said, climate change’s impacts on public health are being manifested through new disease burdens. “We must have international collaboration for research in neglected tropical diseases. We urgently need investments in developing new treatments for antimicrobial resistance,” the PM said.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday (March 06, 2023) urged oil-rich Qatar to make investment in Bangladesh’s energy sector, especially in renewable energy. “We remain open to investment proposals in our infrastructures and logistics sectors. We believe there is scope for Qatari investment in the energy sector, including in renewable energy,” she said. The premier was addressing the Doha Investment Summit 2023 Titled ‘The Rise of Bengal Tiger: Potentials of Trade and Investment in Bangladesh’ held at Grand Ballroom of The St. Regis Doha. She mentioned that Bangladesh could benefit from Qatar’s expertise in offshore gas exploration and energy distribution system. Read more: PM Sheikh Hasina arrives in Qatar to join UN conference on LDCs She urged the business people from Qatar to look at certain thrust sectors in Bangladesh and invited a delegation of Qatari business people to visit the country soon. “I also urge the non-resident Bangladeshis based in Qatar to invest in Bangladesh. We need your participation in our nation-building efforts,” she said. PM Hasina said that Bangladesh’s bilateral relations with Qatar should be readjusted based on a mutually beneficial economic partnership as there are immense untapped potentials. “Bangladesh and Qatar are bound by strong brotherly ties and friendship. Our two nations need to reposition our ties based on a mutually beneficial economic partnership,” she said. Read More: PM in Doha: LDCs need 5 key support from dev partners She also put emphasis on setting up a Joint Committee on Trade and Investment and a Joint Business Forum to bring private sectors on a single platform. “Our two governments should work on setting up a Joint Committee on Trade and Investment. There should also be a Joint Business Forum to bring our private sectors on a single platform,” she said. She mentioned that Bangladesh’s agricultural growth also creates scope for cooperation in agro-processing industries, with buy-back arrangements to Qatar. “We have plans to set up three special tourism zones, where Qatar can engage in both real estate and hospitality sectors,” she said. Read More: PM meets Guterres in Doha, discusses Ukraine, Rohingyas The PM said that Bangladesh aspires to have at least ten Unicorns in ‘Smart Bangladesh’, and country’s vibrant start-up scene is ready to draw Qatari investment. In addition, she said, Qatari investors can consider portfolio investment in Bangladesh. “Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission is working hard to further develop our capital markets. We have taken several steps to establish our bond market on a solid footing. We are soon going to include derivative products in our capital markets,” she said. PM Hasina said that the disruptions in international fuel market due to the war in Ukraine have pushed countries like Bangladesh into a hard spot. Read More: Energy-rich Qatar faces fast-rising climate risks at home In order to meet the growing energy need, she said, Bangladesh is interested in increasing its LNG imports from Qatar. She also requested Qatar to explore opportunities for increasing import of goods from Bangladesh. She said that Bangladesh is now well on track to graduate from the UN LDC Group in 2026 which has been achieved by 168 million people through their hard work and commitment. She said that just before the pandemic, country’s economy reached a growth rate of 8.15 percent, and even during the pandemic, it posted a growth rate of 6.94 percent. Read More: PM urges South Korea for more investments in Bangladesh She said that Bangladesh is now the world’s 35th largest economy with a GDP of USD 460 billion while projected to become the 24th largest by the first half of the 2030s. “It was during my first tenure in 1996-2001 that our government fully opened up the door of trade and business for the private sector. Now our private sector is flourishing and our government is working as a facilitator. Together, we hope to take Bangladesh to the next level of development,” the PM said. Sheikh Hasina mentioned that Bangladesh has one of the most liberal investment regimes in the region. She mentioned that the incentives being offered include tax holiday, concessionary duty on machinery import, remittance of royalty, technical know-how and fees, allowing 100 percent foreign equity, unrestricted exit policy, full repatriation facilities of dividend and capital on exit, etc. Read More: Eswatini wants trade, investment promotion with Bangladesh “The Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) is offering a number of services to foreign investors under one roof.” She mentioned that the government is setting up 100 Special Economic Zones with coordinated facilities and there are so far five country-specific Economic Zones in the making. “We are investing heavily in our infrastructures fit for a regional connectivity and logistics hub. Our mega-projects like the Padma Multi-purpose Bridge, the Karnaphuli river tunnel, the Matarbari Deep Sea Port, the expanded Third Terminal at Dhaka International Airport, the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, the Metro-rail system in Dhaka all testify to our determined march forward.” Hasina mentioned that the government has already brought the entire nation under electricity and internet coverage while country’s first communication satellite Bangabandhu-I has opened up new horizons. Read More: Bangladesh, South Africa discuss ways to boost trade and investment “We have a large pool of easily trainable workforce available at a competitive wage<” she said, adding “Bangladesh has got the world’s second largest community of registered IT freelancers.” She mentioned that Bangladesh has made big leaps in developing its digital backbone down to the remote areas. “Our boys and girls are preparing themselves to join the Fourth Industrial Revolution.” She said that the government is gradually building 38 Hi-tech Parks, with opening for foreign investment. She said that government’s vision now is to build a ‘Smart Bangladesh’ by 2041, drawing strength from a knowledge-based society. Read More: It is high time to work together on more projects, investment areas: Chinese Envoy “Bangladesh offers to be a willing partner in realizing the Qatar National Vision 2030. We can equip our workforce with knowledge and skills to cater to the advanced employment market in Qatar,” she said. She reaffirmed her commitment to fulfill Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib’s dream of building a ‘Sonar Bangla’ and said that she is confident the Qatari leadership and people will continue to stand by Bangladesh as they did in the past decades. “I encourage our business peoples to keep adding new feathers to our excellent bilateral relations,” she said. Chairman of Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission Prof Shibli Rubayat Ul Islam and Executive Chairman of Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) Lokman Hosaain Miah made two separate presentations focusing on potentials of trade and investment in Bangladesh. Read More: Bangladesh-Turkiye Business Forum launched to usher in new era of economic cooperation Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission and Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) in partnership with the Foreign Affairs Ministry arranged the event.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina arrived in Doha, Qatar on Saturday  to participate in the 5th United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDC5) slated for March 5-9. A VVIP flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines, carrying the prime minister and her entourage, which departed Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 11:15am (Dhaka time) landed at Hamad International Airport, Doha at 1:30pm local time (Doha time). She is visiting Qatar at the invitation of the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.  Hasina will have separate meetings with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, UNGA President Csaba Korosi and UNDP administrator Achim Steiner at Qatar National Convention Centre (QCC) on Saturday. ALso Read: PM Hasina holds meeting with former British PM Sir Tony Blair During her stay in Qatar till March 08, the PM will lead a high-level delegation and will hold bilateral meeting with her Qatari counterpart apart from her participation at the LDC5 conference.   She will also have a meeting with the Emir of Qatar. Bilateral issues including cooperation in the areas of energy sector will come up for discussion. On March 5, the PM will deliver a speech at the opening plenary meeting of the LDC5 Conference as a special guest at the QCC. Then she will have separate meetings with Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Rwanda President Paul Kagame, Secretary General of United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Rebeca Grynspan and Secretary General of International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Doreen Bogdan-Martin there. Besides, the Prime Minister will also deliver a speech at a side event titled “Sustainable and Smooth Transition for the Graduating Cohort of 2021,” which will be arranged jointly by Bangladesh, Laos and Nepal. On March 6, Hasina will speak as the chief guest at a business summit, titled “The Rise of Bengal Tiger: Potential of Trade and Investment in Bangladesh” in the St. Regis Doha. She will also have meeting with Malawi President Dr Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera and participate in a side event tiled “Investment in Research and Development in LDCs for Smart and Innovative Societies” in the QCC, and join the Regional Envoy Conference at the place of residence. On March 7, the Prime Minister will attend a high-level dialogue on “Enhancing the participation of LDCs in International Trade and Regional Integration.” She will hold meeting with Denmark Minister for Development Cooperation Dan Jorgensen, attend event titled “Global Partnership for Smooth and Sustainable Graduation: Marching towards Smart Bangladesh” as the special guest in the QCC as well as join a civic reception to be hosted by Bangladeshi community living in Qatar.  Hasina is scheduled to leave Doha for Dhaka on March 8.  In the LDC5 Conference in Doha, world leaders will gather with the leaders from private sector and civil society, parliamentarians, and young people to advance new ideas, raise new pledges of support, and spur delivery on agreed commitments, through the Doha Programme of Action.    

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam on Thursday urged Portugal to support Bangladesh’s bid for GSP+ facility beyond 2029 under EU’s new GSP Regulation. Portuguese Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Dr Francisco André termed Bangladesh as the "best success story" for the EU’s Everything-but-Arms (EBA) scheme for LDCs, and assured of appropriate consideration for Bangladesh’s continued trade preferences in the European Union (EU) market. Bangladesh and Portugal held the 2nd Political Consultations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday evening. State Minister Shahriar Alam led the Bangladesh side while the Portuguese side was led by its Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation. The State Minister recalled his last visit to Portugal earlier this year. He observed that while Bangladesh and Portugal enjoy a relationship that goes back more than 500 years, official interactions between the two governments in the recent times had remained low. Alam thanked the Portuguese State Secretary for following up on his commitment to visit Bangladesh to take the bilateral relations forward. The Portuguese State Secretary appreciated the Bangladesh Foreign Minister’s participation at the UN Ocean Conference in Lisbon in June 2022. He also acknowledged the valued contributions of the Bangladesh community in Portugal and assured of appropriate measures by his government in the next couple of years to address the consular related issues faced by the Bangladeshi expatriates. The two sides also agreed to cooperate on a permanent structure of a Shaheed Minar at a suitable location in Lisbon with a view to making the Bangladeshi community there feel more culturally integrated. Both sides stressed the need for enhanced interactions among business people to foster economic ties. The two countries reaffirmed their interest in concluding an agreement on avoidance of double taxation soon. The Portuguese State Secretary expressed interest in sharing know-how and investments in renewable energy, especially in offshore wind power generation. State Minister Alam welcomed the proposal and invited expertise for connecting off-grid solar power to the national grid in Bangladesh. Read more: Bangladesh, Portugal to sign MoU to establish direct shipping links The two sides also agreed to take forward the ongoing initiative at establishing direct shipping links between the interested ports. The two Ministers exchanged views on climate change issues, including the COP-27 agenda on loss and damage. The Bangladesh State Minister thanked Portugal for its principled support for climate justice for vulnerable countries.

Ambassador and Head of Delegation of the European Union (EU) to Bangladesh Charles Whiteley on Tuesday said preparing for quick access to GSP Plus in the EU market is the next big factor for Bangladesh’s future economic development. The graduation from LDC status in 2026 would also mean graduation from the current Everything but Arms (EBA) unilateral trade preference given to Bangladesh by the EU, which is Bangladesh’s largest export destination. “The graduation would imply a substantial trade loss and serious shock to the country’s GDP, which could be mitigated through inclusion in the GSP+ arrangement,” said the EU envoy while speaking at a programme hosted by International Business Forum of Bangladesh (IBFB) at a city hotel. Read:Special economic zone not enough to attract best investors: US Envoy US Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas, founding President of IBFB Mahmudul Islam Chowdhury, Chairman of Policy Research Institute of Bnagladesh Dr Zaidi Sattar, IBFB President Humayun Rashid and its Vice President MS Siddiqui also spoke. Attracting foreign direct investment and technological know-hows would be key to reduce dependency on single basket RMG exports and move towards industrial diversification, said ambassador Whiteley. For this to happen, he said, a level playing field for both local and foreign sectors is necessary. “Addressing the woes of existing foreign investors is also important. We continue to engage with the government authorities in this area in our bilateral business dialogue.” Read BGMEA seeks 10-yr extension of GSP in Swiss market There are some quite stringent requirements for GSP Plus accession and the great thing is Bangladesh has already ratified the 32 conventions that are now required for GSP Plus membership, said ambassador Whiteley. “Now the next stage is implementation. This in particular refers to implementing the National Action Plan for the Labour Sector, which the Government has agreed with the EU,” he said.