Bangladesh backs Sri Lanka on HR

Bangladesh is keen on strengthening ties with Sri Lanka on shipping, tourism promotion, investment, educational activities and drug manufacturing according to visiting Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Shahidul Haque.

The Foreign Secretary said this when he met Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa at the Ministry office on Tuesday 23 April.  The Bangladeshi official is in Sri Lanka to take part in the Second Foreign Secretary Level Consultations.  The discussions are expected to review the entire range of Sri Lanka’s relations with Bangladesh with focus on exploring new avenues of cooperation and expanding existing economic relations.

Foreign Secretary Shahidul Haque observed that Bangladeshi ships calling at Colombo and Trincomalee would help facilitate imports and exports, promote tourism and encourage investments.  He was confident that Sri Lanka’s success in rural development would attract Bangladeshi investors. Minister Basil Rajapaksa requested the Foreign Secretary to ensure that such investments also be made in the area of drug manufacture.

During the past five years Sri Lankans invested around US$ 200 million in Bangladesh.  A large number of Sri Lankan medical students are currently studying there while nearly 15,000 Sri Lankans are employed in that country.  

Foreign Secretary Shahidul Haque has also assured that Bangladesh would back Sri Lanka on the human rights issue. In response, Minister Basil Rajapaksa expressed his gratitude to Bangladesh for supporting Sri Lanka in international fora in times of difficulty. Earlier at a meeting with President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Haque said: “We stand by our Sri Lankan brothers on the issue of human rights.”

Bangladesh is the Chair of the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) and human rights groups.

Others in the Bangladeshi delegation included Bangladesh High Commissioner in Colombo Mohammad Sufiur Raaman, Bangladesh’s Ministry of Shipping Joint Secretary Nasir Arif Mahmud and Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Director South Asia Tareq Ariful Islam.