Alberto Rubio
Bangladesh’s ambassador to Spain, Mohammad Sarwar Mahmood, warned on Tuesday that the crisis of displaced Rohingya refugees from Myanmar -approximately one million people- “is having a huge cost” for his country and added that “if it is not resolved soon, there will be consequences for the region and for the world”.
During a reception he hosted to commemorate the 52nd anniversary of Bangladesh’s independence, the diplomat hoped that “the international community will become more assertive in its stand for the return of refugees to their homeland with honor and dignity.” In recent months, several international agencies have pointed out the serious shortages (food and medical care, in addition to the precariousness of the camps) suffered by these displaced persons, who have been living in oblivion for more than 5 years.
Moreover, after underlining the date of March 26 as that of the “conquest of the identity of our nation”, the ambassador paid tribute to the “three million martyrs whose sacrifice gave us an independent and sovereign Bangladesh” and recalled “with deep respect” the figure of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the “Father of the Fatherland” who led the liberation war.
The country, now ruled by the daughter of the man also known as Bangabandhu (Friend of Bengal), Sheikh Hasina, “is the second largest economy in South Asia and the seventh largest democracy in the world,” said the ambassador, who underlined his government’s goal of making the country the world’s 25th largest economy by GDP by 2035.
Precisely Prime Minister Hashina recently unveiled her intention to build a ‘smart’ Bangladesh by 2041 on four pillars: citizens, government, economy and society. Among other goals, the ambassador said, is “closing the digital divide by developing innovation.”
In addition, he said, “our government has prioritized a framework conducive to investment in thriving sectors such as agribusiness, automotive and information technology,” and among its priorities is to continue developing a ‘green economy’; a tourism sector based on its “magnificent natural beauty, historical richness and cultural diversity”; and maintaining a thriving textile industry from which numerous Spanish companies benefit.
After highlighting multilateralism as one of the cornerstones of its foreign policy, the ambassador welcomed the “excellent relations” with Spain, based “on our commitment to emerging global issues of mutual interest”, in addition to economic relations in which exports from Bangladesh to Spain have already exceeded 3,000 million euros annually.
The ambassador thanked the 60,000 Bangladeshis residing in Spain for “their role in strengthening ties between the two countries.” “They are enterprising, hardworking and law-abiding, and actively contribute to the economy in addition to bringing elements of diversity to the communities in which they live.”
The State Secretary for Migration, Isabel Castro Fernandez, highlighted Spain’s interest in continuing to collaborate with the Bangladeshi authorities in the fight against irregular migration, one of the most important bilateral issues.
The reception was also attended, among other representatives of the Spanish Government, by the Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Asia and the Pacific, Javier Salido, as well as numerous foreign ambassadors accredited in Spain.
