Samina Naz, ambassador of Bangladesh to Việt Nam, sends a message to Việt Nam News readers to mark Bangladesh’s National and Independence Day (March 26) and celebrate the 45th year of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

It is a matter of additional celebration for Bangladesh, as it has been successfully attained all the criteria for graduating from Least Developed Country to Developing Country this year. In April 2018, Bangladesh is being elevated from the lower income status to the lower middle income one for the first time since its independence, meeting the World Bank and IMF’s requirements comfortably. Bangladesh now plans to secure the higher middle-income status by 2021.

On the occasion of the Independence and National day of Bangladesh, the nation deeply recalls with gratitude and profound respect the name of the Father of the Nation of Bangladesh, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who proclaimed country’s independence on this day in 1971. It is due to his Charismatic call for freedom of war through his historic speech of in March of that year, which has been recognised by UNESCO as a part of world heritage and documentary evidence, and his dynamic leadership, the nation achieved its much awaited independence, through a nine-month long armed struggle.

Bangladesh is grateful to all foreign friends who supported, assisted, extended direct help to Bangladesh during the war including Việt Nam.

To materialise the dream of the Father of the Nation of a ‘Sonar Bangla’ or Golden Bengal – Bangladesh – under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, daughter of Bangabandhu, is progressing rapidly to emerge as a middle income Country by 2021 and a developed nation by 2041. Bangladesh achieved its highest growth in the last nine years in terms of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2017 by securing a rate of 7.28 per cent.

We have attained notable progress in private sectors, in the areas of readymade garments, pharmaceuticals, ceramic and ship-building industry. Progress in infrastructure development, electricity production, education and health sectors, use of technology, women empowerment, human resources development, and extension of social safety net all are bringing changes in Bangladesh.

Today, Bangladesh has been acclaimed as a role model by the United Nations for successful implementation of the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Now, we are committed to the Sustainable Development Goals. Bangladesh as one of the world’s largest contributors of troops to the UN peacekeeping missions, has been making great contributions to the world’s peace and security. Bangladesh’s initiatives to respond to global challenges such as terrorism, climate change, water security have been highly appreciated by the international community.

There has been a significant progress in agricultural sector. Bangladesh has achieved self-sufficiency in food production at national level. The country is now the third and 5th largest producer of fish and vegetable in the world. Progress is also taking place in the industrial sector, Industry now accounts for 32.48 per cent of the GDP. Readymade garments are the leading sector. With a view to accelerating and decentralising industrialisation and expanding employment, special economic zones are now being established in different parts of the country, in both public and private sectors.

Bangladesh attaches great importance to its relations with Việt Nam. The current status of bilateral relations that so happily exists between the two countries have commonality and similarity of history of struggle for independence, socio-economic development, culture, livelihood, food habit (both rice and fish producing and consuming counties) and importantly, empowerment and advancement of women. Both Bangladesh and Việt Nam National Parliaments are headed by women. The Government of Bangladesh is headed by a woman leader for consecutive nine years at a row.

Bangladesh’s Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Việt Nam’s President Hồ Chí Minh, both envisaged the dream of free people and dedicated their lives to realise the dream. Both the countries’ peoples are, therefore, not only bonded by shared values and culture but also by a deep commitment to carry forward the beacon of humanity. In this regard, I pay my deepest respect to great leader of Việt Nam Hồ Chí Minh.

On our Independence month, March 2018 witnessed a historic development in Bangladesh-Việt Nam relations. President of Việt Nam Trần Đại Quang paid a State visit to Bangladesh with a delegation over 200 members on March 4-6. This was the first visit by a Vietnamese President to Bangladesh within last 14 years, to mark the 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations to a new height.

Bangladesh believes that the visit of President Quang strengthened the bonds of traditional friendly relationship between the two countries in a remarkable way.

Leaders of the two countries agreed to exert greater efforts to double the two-way trade, which stood at US$920 million in 2017 and reached consensus on strengthening collaboration in agriculture, trade, education, IT, defence, security, tourism, culture and people-to-people exchanges, and maintaining good relationship at regional and international forums. Both Bangladesh and Việt Nam hoped that the bilateral trade could be reached at US$2 billion by 2020.

However, one of the problems is that both Bangladeshi and Vietnamese companies are not fully aware about each other’s market, which we need to explore. We need to tap the full potential and opportunities that we may offer and extend to each other. Bangladesh government is more and more focusing on attracting foreign investment by setting up 100 special economic zones nationwide. As of now, some Vietnamese companies, especially those in the field of IT and communication, are taking initial steps to establish joint venture projects in Bangladesh. I would request the Việt Nam business sectors to consider investing in those special economic zones and to avail the incentives we offer.

I feel it is my honour and great happiness to welcome the President of Việt Nam to Bangladesh within the six months of taking the charges of Bangladesh Ambassador, I could materialise a long awaited visit of the President to Bangladesh, introduce my country as a promising market to Vietnamese business community. In the future, the Bangladesh Embassy plans to organise a number of seminars and programme on bilateral trade and investment promotion in Hà Nội aiming to create platforms for companies of both countries to meet, discuss and establish partnership.

I wish for the prosperity, good health and happiness of the peoples of Bangladesh and Việt Nam and the traditional friendship between Bangladesh and Việt Nam be further strengthened in the coming days. — VNS