By NNN-BSS,
Dhaka : Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Tuesday expressed willingness to work unitedly with the Maldives to face the adverse impact of climate change as both the countries are facing similar threats due to global warming.
“Bangladesh and the Maldives are facing same threats of climate change. So, we have to work together to face the challenges of environmental degradation,” she said when the newly appointed the High Commissioner of the Maldives to Bangladesh Ahmed Sareer called on her at her office here.
During the meeting, they also discussed matters relating to bilateral interests and expansion of economic cooperation between the two south Asian countries, said Prime Minister’s Deputy Press Secretary M Nazrul Islam after the meeting.
Describing poverty as the common enemy in the South Asian region, Sheikh Hasina said the SAARC countries have to work together for improving livelihood of their people by cutting down poverty from the region In this context, she said her government is working relentlessly for improving the living standard of the people of Bangladesh by eradicating poverty.
Referring to existing bilateral relations between the two countries specially in the economic sector, the Prime Minister called upon the government of the Maldives to import high quality Bangladesh’s pharmaceuticals, ceramics and garment products to further boost economic cooperation between the two SAARC nations.
She also urged the Maldives government to recruit doctors and teachers from Bangladesh and take measurers for legalizing the unregistered Bangladeshis working in the Maldives to further expand bilateral relations.
According to avialable statistics, at least 45,000 Bangladeshis are now working in the Maldives and a big chunk of the manpower has so far remained unregistered.
As the high commissioner sought Bangladesh’s support to set up a university in his country, the Prime Minister assured of her government’s all out cooperation in this regards in line with a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the two countries earlier.
Regarding expansion of cooperation in the tourism sector, Sheikh Hasina also underlined the need for finding out ways and means to further expansion of tourism between the two countries.
As the high commissioner requested the Prime Minister to increase number of students from the Maldives at the National Defense College (NDC), Sheikh Hasina responded positively and said her government will take necessary steps to this end.
During the meeting, Mr. Ahmed Sareer thanked Sheikh Hasina for her prudent and far-sighted leadership in different international forums on the climate change issues.
The Maldives envoy apprised the Prime Minister of the upcoming Asian Summit on climate change issue to be convened by the government of Maldives and sought Bangladesh’s cooperation to make the summit a success.