Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday expressed her desire to work with the Maldives regarding climate change issues and global warming that put both countries in danger.
She said both Bangladesh and the Maldives are in the front-line among the most vulnerable countries of the world due to the global warming and the impact of climate change, which are mainly caused by the developed countries.
Hasina made the remarks when newly appointed Maldives High Commissioner to Bangladesh Ahmed Sareer called on her at the Prime Minister’s Office Tuesday morning.
The prime minister said the bilateral relations, including economic cooperation, between the two friendly countries would have to be expanded.
In this regard, she said the Maldives could import pharmaceutical items, ceramics, and readymade garments from Bangladesh, which are of high quality and produced here in abundance.
“The Maldives can import these items from here, as they import from different countries,” she said.
The Maldives High Commissioner informed the prime minister that the president of the Maldives took an initiative to hold a summit titled ‘Asia Summit on Climate Change Issue’ for having a common platform before the next 16th United Nations Climate Change Conference (UNCCC) scheduled to be held in Mexico.
The prime minister appreciated the move of the Maldives president about the adverse impact of the climate change.
She also emphasised on united effort to eradicate poverty from the SAARC region. “We are working hard on poverty alleviation and to upgrade the living standard of the people.”
Hasina said poverty is the common problem of the region and “we will have to work unitedly to eradicate poverty from the region.”
Deputy Press Secretary to the Prime Minister M Nazrul Islam briefed the reporters after the meeting.
Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister MA Karim, secretary to the Prime Minister’s Office Molla Waheeduzzaman and Ambassador at-large Ziauddin were, among others, present.
The prime minister also urged the Maldives high commissioner to work jointly for flourishing tourism between the two countries.
In this connection, she noted that the Maldives already developed its tourism sector, and their expertise could be of benefit for Bangladesh in expanding and developing the tourism sector of the country, which has huge potential and natural beauties.
The prime minister recalled that Bangladesh and the Maldives have a historic tie and relations. The Maldives could take teachers and doctors from Bangladesh, she said.
While the Maldives high commissioner sought assistance from the prime minister for setting up a Bangladesh-Maldives University in the Maldives, Hasina said that her government would extend all possible cooperation to the Maldives in this regard.
She also asked the high commissioner to legalise the unregistered Bangladeshi workers, who are working in the Maldives. According to available statistics, around 45,000 Bangladeshi expatriates are now working in the Maldives. Some of them are still unregistered.
The Maldives High Commissioner conveyed his government’s thanks to the prime minister, as many students from Maldives are studying in Bangladesh in different academic institutions including universities.
He urged the prime minister to increase the number of such students and said that his government is eager to take more teachers from Bangladesh for their academic institutions and doctors for their healthcare system.
Hasina mentioned that many students from the Maldives are also studying in the National Defense College (NDC) here. She said that her government would take necessary steps to increase their number.
Source: thedailystar.net
