March 26, 2022 marks the 52nd Independence and National Day of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh.
On this auspicious occasion, I convey my heartfelt congratulations and warm greetings to our respected members of the Bangladesh community living in Saudi Arabia.
On this momentous occasion, I respectfully remember our Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, under whose prudent and unprecedented leadership we achieved our independence in 1971 through a nine-month Liberation War.
I also pay tribute to all the valiant freedom fighters for their supreme sacrifices for the independence of our motherland. My deep respect goes to the martyrs of the Liberation War and all those millions of people who withstood all the suffering in that conflict.
I would like to take this opportunity to express our deepest gratitude to Saudi Arabia’s King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for their able leadership and contribution to the Muslim ummah, and their visionary leadership to realize Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030.
Bangladesh has enjoyed warm bilateral relations with the Kingdom since the inception of diplomatic relations in 1975. Last year, we celebrated the 45th year of diplomatic ties.
The excellent relations between Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia are attributable to the fact that both countries share common perspectives on Islamic values, global peace and harmony, and commitment to concerted bilateral cooperation to advance economic activities and issues of mutual interest.
Our prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, paid five official visits to the Kingdom between June 2016 and May 2019. These visits created a new dimension in our bilateral relations. King Salman described Bangladesh as a “top Islamic country” with respect to relations during meetings with the Bangladeshi prime minister in 2016 and 2018.
This year, we held our first political consultation and agreed to further strengthen our bilateral relationship. We agreed to build on the achievements of recent productive engagements to set up a future that includes even closer co-operation and understanding between Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia at both the bilateral and multilateral levels.
We would like to see the peoples of both countries herald a defining moment in which we elevate our relationship to new heights in the coming days, particularly in the areas of security, trade, investment, education, health, agriculture, climate change and environmental protection, along with the exchange of manpower between the two brotherly countries.
Bangladesh has a winning combination of a competitive market, a business-friendly environment and a competitive cost structure that can offer some of the best returns. It is an ideal destination for Saudi entrepreneurs as it has a very dynamic, young, talented Muslim population (almost 90 percent of the population is Muslim) and offers attractive incentives.
Potential investors can explore the enormous potential of investment opportunities in a variety of sectors in Bangladesh, such as the tourism industry, information technology, shipbuilding and pharmaceuticals, among others.
In 2021, we signed a memorandum of understanding with the Saudi Ministry of Investment which allows eligible Saudi companies to invest in suitable public projects in Bangladesh. Already, 20 Saudi companies have shown interest in investing in Bangladesh and a few proposals have reached the implementation phase.
Bangladesh is now a role model for the developing world in terms of poverty reduction, achieving success in health and education, and fighting climate change, and has received UN accolades for its efforts. The country has one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, recording more than 7 percent growth in the past decade.
Even in the fiscal year 2020-21 our economic growth was 6.94 percent, which is the highest growth rate in the world amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, we are self-reliant in agricultural production.
On Feb. 26, 2021, Bangladesh received the final recommendation from the UN required for its graduation from the categorization of “least developed country,” after fulfilling all three criteria needed to achieve this.
Now the country is looking to become a prosperous nation by 2041. It has been implementing its 100-year “Delta 2100” plan under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Bangladesh was one of the countries that championed efforts to achieve the UN’s Millennium Development Goals and is now working hard to meet the targets set by the Sustainable Development Goals.
For several decades, Bangladesh has been meeting the need for workers in several employment streams in the Saudi labor market. The Bangladeshi migrant community has established its credentials longer-term and is working with the considerable appreciation of the Saudi people. In the process, Bangladeshis are also a part of contemporary Saudi economic growth and Bangladesh is ready to contribute to realizing the economic goals of Saudi Vision 2030.
Bangladesh is a peace-loving country. The foreign policy of the country is founded on the motto “Friendship to all, malice to none,” as defined by the father of our nation.
Today, Bangladesh is the top troop-contributing country to UN peacekeeping operations around the globe. We have been nominated as the chair of the UN Peacebuilding Commission for 2022 and play an active role in peacebuilding efforts in war-torn countries to help preserve the international order and to protect and promote the interests of all nations.
We have resolved a maritime boundary dispute with our neighbors, India and Myanmar, peacefully. We settled a decades-old land-border dispute with India through dialogue.
As an epic example of our nation’s humanity, Bangladesh has sheltered 1.2 million Rohingya refugees fleeing the atrocities in Myanmar, and has been engaged in diplomatic discussions with authorities in Myanmar for a peaceful solution to this crisis.
Bangladesh maintains a “zero tolerance” policy toward the menace of terrorism and violent extremism in all its forms and manifestations.
Our country has been advancing fast and will continue its journey to fulfill the dream of the father of our nation for a “Golden Bengal.” I would urge the respected members of our community in the Kingdom to redouble their efforts and play their parts in realizing that dream.
We should internalize the very essence of our Liberation War and propagate those values to our future generations. Let us take this oath on this auspicious anniversary of our independence.
Joi Bangla. Long live the Bangladesh-KSA relationship.
— Dr. Mohammed Javed Patwary, BPM (Bar)
Ambassador of Bangladesh to Saudi Arabia
