Bangladeshi envoy visits city to promote growth in trade
High commissioner wants to build on existing commerce in potash, pulses
Mizanur Rahman, the People’s Republic of Bangladesh High Commissioner to Canada, says his country’s goal is to transform into a middle-income country by 2021 and a developed country by 2041.
Rahman spent the last two days in Saskatoon expanding trade relations and economic ties between Bangladesh and Canada — trade between the two countries is worth about $2.4 billion.
Strong trade relations with Saskatchewan account for half a billion annually, mainly in the pulse and potash sectors. Last year, an agreement worth US$46 million was signed between the Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation and the Canadian Commercial Corporation to deliver Canadian potash from Canpotex Limited.
“This reflects the trust and relationship we have regarding Saskatchewan trade and fertilizer,” said Rahman.
Former MLA Rob Norris accompanied Rahman in Saskatoon. Norris is the newly appointed honourary consul to Bangladesh in Saskatchewan, the first post of its kind in Canada.
While in Saskatoon, Rahman visited VIDO -InterVac, as he would like to diversity Bangladesh’s Canadian exports into pharmaceuticals. The country is already a large producer of generic medicine. He sees a strong potential for producing vaccinations. In the future, he would like to bring a team of medical entrepreneurs to Canada to further explore the possibility.
A memorandum of understanding, signed between the University of Saskatchewan and Bangladesh’s Dhaka University, will enable a collaborations with the School of Public Policy for training of mid-career civil servants in Bangladesh.
“We’re very eager for our civil servants to have this capacity building,” said Rahman.
More than 90 per cent of Bangladesh’s imports to Canada are through the textile industry. The industry contributes greatly to Bangladesh’s economy and to women’s empowerment, said Rahman. Social economic indicators increase due to the large numbers of women employed.
“Once the women are employed, it means freedom for the whole family because they are able to better educate the children and get better health services.”
The industry came under harsh scrutiny in 2013 when 1,138 people in Dhaka died when the five-storey Rana Plaza garment factory collapsed. Rahman said improved working conditions and workers’ rights can be attributed to cooperation between international partners, such as Canada, and Bangladesh since 2013.
In August 2017, deadly violence against the Rohingya people in Myanmar caused about 700,000 people to flee to neighbouring Bangladesh. Bangladesh is now seeking ways to repatriate the Rohingya, a minority Muslim group, with help from Canada.
“We are grateful to the stand taken by the Canadian government. Now, it is important that the international community maintain the pressure on Myanmar,” said Rahman.
Most recently, the Bangladeshi government is negotiating a safe, dignified, voluntary and sustainable repatriation program with Myanmar. Conditions have to be created by Myanmar where the Rohingya used to live so that they feel safe enough in order to return, Rahman said.
“(Their) livelihood has to be ensured. If they go back, they fear what will happen,” he said.
He said people are still arriving daily from Myanmar.
“The violence must stop. Even as we speak today, the violence has not stopped.”
The economic, environmental and societal impact has been great on Bangladesh, a developing country of 160 million people.
“I think through these incidents, the Bangladeshi have shown to the world what humanity means.”
The monsoon season will start in June.
It could be catastrophic for the Rohingya living in Bangladeshi refugee camps, as diseases such as cholera will spread rapidly. Rahman said the government has asked the international community for assistance.