BANGLADESH€¦ · The Bangladesh Awami League, led by Bangabandhu won overwhelm-ing majority in...

BANGLADESH

CELEBRATING45 years of Danish diplomatic relations

REASONS TO VISIT BEAUTIFUL BANGLADESH

INDEPENDENCE DAY SUPPLEMENT

NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR INVESTMENT IN BANGLADESH

DISCOVER

President and Publisher: Ejvind Sandal ● Editor: David Nothling-Demmer ● Layout: Lyndsay Jensen

Commercial Director: Hans Hermansen, [email protected], Tel: +45 2420 2411 ● Picture credit for images: iStock & Bangledesh Embassy.

TThe great Independence Day is a glorious one in our national life. On this historic day, I re-call with profound respect, Father of the Na-tion Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who proclaimed our country’s independence on March 26, 1971 after inspiring the whole nation with Bangladeshi nationalism and preparing them for independence. Under his charismatic leadership, we achieved our much awaited in-dependence through a nine-month long armed struggle. Today, I pay my deep tributes to the martyrs and valiant sons of the soil, who made the supreme sacrifices in the war of liberation. I also recall with deep reverence our four Nation-al Leaders, valiant freedom-fighters, organisers, supporters and people from all walks of life

for their unmatched valour, immense contribu-tions and courageous role that accelerated the achievement of our victory. I remember with deep respect our foreign friends who extended their wholehearted support directly and indi-rectly in our war of liberation in 1971. The contri-butions of all would be written in golden letters in the history of our independence forever.

One of the prime objectives of our hard-earned independence was to build a happy and pros-perous Bangladesh. Keeping that in mind, the present Government has been rendering un-tiring efforts in materialising the objectives of independence. The growth rate of GDP and per capita income is increasing constantly and the rate of poverty is decreasing. In the meantime, we have achieved some significant progress in the fields of agriculture, education, health, rural infrastructure, communication, energy and power, trade & commerce, ICT and SME sectors. It is notable that our country has at-tained food-sufficiency owing to the huge de-velopment in agriculture. We have also been able to export food grains on a small scale. The pace of advancement in the sector of empow-erment of women, youth & sports is continu-ing. The mega project of the Padma Bridge is underway by our own resources. At the same time we have also attained remarkable de-velopment in the private sector including the

A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT OF BANGLADESH

On the occasion of our great Independence and National Day, I extend my heart-

felt greetings and warm felicitations to my fellow countrymen living at home

and abroad.

EMBASSY SUPPLEMENTMARCH 2017

areas of readymade garments, pharmaceuti-cals, ceramic and ship-building industry. The country’s financial sector along with Bank and Insurances has been expanded. Bangladesh is now being branded as a role model of devel-opment in the outside world. Our achievement in the international arena is also commend-able. Our expatriate Bangladeshis, have also been making significant contributions to our national economy through sending their hard-earned remittances. Nevertheless, we have to go a long way for achieving the desired goals of independence. I believe that sincere and concerted efforts from all strata irrespective of party affiliation are imperative to reach the goals.

The people of our country have a great love for democracy, development and peace. They do not support any sort of violence including militancy and terrorism. We should keep in mind that the thriving of democracy and its in-stitutionalisation is very important for attain-ing overall development. Therefore, we have to maintain patience, self-restraint, and for-bearance in our national life along with show-ing respect to others’ opinion in a democratic pluralism. I hope that people from all strata would play their due role from their respective positions to attain the objectives of independ-ence and fulfil the hopes and aspirations of our people. Father of the Nation Bangaband-hu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman dreamt of trans-forming Bangladesh into ‘Sonar Bangia’. The present Government has set ‘Vision 2021’ and ‘Vision 2041’ to materialise Bangabandhu’s dream into reality. It is my expectation that people from all walks of life would contribute towards building an IT-based, happy and pros-perous Bangladesh through implementing the Vision by the golden jubilee celebration of our independence.

On this auspicious day of independence, I urge all, living at home and abroad, to work united-ly imbued with the spirit of the War of Libera-tion and democratic norms to expedite further progress and democratic advancement of the country.

Khoda Hafez, May Bangladesh Live Forever.Md. Abdul Hamid

H.E. Md. Abdul Hamid

Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman

President and Publisher: Ejvind Sandal ● Editor: David Nothling-Demmer ● Layout: Lyndsay Jensen

Commercial Director: Hans Hermansen, [email protected], Tel: +45 2420 2411 ● Picture credit for images: iStock & Bangledesh Embassy.

TThe 26th of March is the day of earning self-iden-

tity of our nation. It’s the day of breaking the

shackles of subjugation. On the eve of our In-

dependence Day, I recall with deep gratitude

the greatest Bangladeshi of all time, Father of

the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rah-

man, under whose undisputed leadership we

earned our beloved independence. I pay my

deep homage to the three million martyrs and

200 thousand women who lost their innocence

in the War of Liberation. I also pay my trib-

utes to four national leaders who led the War

of Liberation. My homage goes to the valiant

freedom fighters, including the wounded ones.

I extend my sympathies to those who had lost

their near and dear ones, and were subjected to

brutal torture during the war. I recall with grati-

tude our foreign friends who had extended their

whole-hearted support and cooperation for the

cause of our liberation.

The Bangladeshi nation had fought against Pa-

kistani rulers’ oppression and deprivation for as

long as 23 years under the leadership of Bang-

abandhu. They were compelled to hold gen-

eral elections in 1970. The Bangladesh Awami

League, led by Bangabandhu won overwhelm-

ing majority in the elections. But the Pakistani

rulers, instead of handing over the power to the

majority party in a democratic way, launched

repressive measures against them. Bangaband-

hu in his 7th March historic address at the then

Racecourse Maidan declared, “The struggle of

this time is for freedom, the struggle for this

time for our independence.” He instructed the

Bangladeshi nation to resist their enemies.

The occupation forces unleashed a sudden at-

tack and started killing innocent and unarmed

Bangladeshis on the black night of the 25th

March 1971. They killed thousands of people in

cities and towns, including Dhaka. The Father

of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur

Rahman officially proclaimed the independ-

ence of Bangladesh at the first hour of the 26th

March 1971. Bangabandhu’s proclamation was

spread all over the country through telegrams,

tele-printers and EPR wireless. The internation-

al media also had circulated Bangabandhu’s

proclamation of independence. Under the brave

and dauntless leadership of Bangabandhu, we

earned the ultimate victory on the 16th Decem-

ber 1971 after a nine-month bloody war.

The independence earned through supreme sacrifices of millions of people is the greatest achievement of the Bangladeshi nation. To en-sure that this achievement remains meaningful, we all have to know the history of our great liberation war and retain the spirit of independ-ence. The history has to be passed on from gen-eration to generation.

Being imbued with the spirit of the freedom struggle, the Awami League government has been working relentlessly to develop the coun-try. During the last eight years, we have imple-mented expected development programmes in all sectors. As a result, Bangladesh has emerged as a ‘Role Model’ of socio-economic development. We will turn Bangladesh into a middle-income country by 2021 and a devel-oped one by 2041, Insha Allah.

We have executed the verdict of the killing case of Bangabandhu and most of his family mem-bers. The verdicts of cases against those who committed crimes against humanity are also being executed. Our government is maintain-ing a ‘zero tolerance’ policy to tackle militancy and terrorism. We have stopped the takeover of power in an undemocratic way through the 15th amendment of constitution. On this auspicious day, I urge our countrymen to foil any plot of the anti-liberation, communal forces and an-ti-development and anti-democracy forces to-gether.

Being imbued with the spirit of our great libera-tion war, let us take a fresh vow to advance our country’s development and democracy. Let us join our hands to build a non-communal, hun-ger, poverty-free, happy and prosperous ‘Sonar Bangia’ as dreamt by the Father of the nation. On this historic day, this is our commitment.

Joi Bangla, Joi BangabandhuMay Bangladesh Live Forever.Sheikh Hasina

ADVANCING BANGLADESH IN THE SPIRIT OF OUR GREAT LIBERATION: A MESSAGE FROM THE PRIME MINISTER

I convey my heartiest greetings and

congratulations to my countrymen

as well as all expatriate Bangla-

deshis on the occasion of the great

Independence and National Day of

Bangladesh.


H.E. Sheikh Hasina

3

4

II recall the supreme sacrifices made by the

three million martyrs. I also pay my deep re-

spect to the two hundred thousand women

who sacrificed their honour for our freedom. My

sympathy goes to those families who lost their

near and dear ones during the Liberation War.

We also express our gratitude to the wounded

freedom fighters.

I also pay my gratitude to people from all walks

of life and especially the members of the dip-

lomatic front who, during and after our Liber-

ation War, played a courageous role that laid

the ground for obtaining moral, financial and

military support from the global community in

favour of the Liberation War. Enormous contri-

butions from our foreign friends have been writ-

ten in golden letters in the history of our Liber-

ation War; we are privileged to recognise their

contribution and bestow honour as “Friends of

Bangladesh”.

Bangabandhu’s daughter and Prime Minister

Sheikh Hasina have declared ‘Vision2021’ (to

build a middle-income country by 2021) and

‘Vision-2041’ (to build a developed country by

2041) in line with the spirit of the Liberation

War and the dream of the Father of the Nation

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to build

a ‘Sonar Bangia’ (Golden Bengal). We have

since then attained the status of a lower middle

income country and are on track to become a

middle income country well before 2021.

Bangladesh was acclaimed as a ‘role model’ af-

ter successfully achieving many of the ‘Millenni-

um Development Goals’ (MDGs). The 71st United

Nations General Assembly last year adopted

the ‘Sustainable Development Goals’ (SDGs).

Even before that we had already started work-

ing to align our national plan in line with the

agenda 2030. With Bangabandhu’s daughter

and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the helm

of affairs, Bangladesh will be on course to meet

the objectives and targets under the SDGs.

I thank all the members of the Ministry of For-

eign Affairs and our Missions abroad who have

been working with sincerity, dedication and

commitment in achieving our foreign policy ob-

jectives and implementing development goals. I

also congratulate the Bangladeshi Diaspora in

every corner of the world which is immensely

contributing to the strengthening of the image

of Bangladesh.

I may add that the Bangladesh Parliament on

the 11th of March 2017, unanimously adopted a

Resolution declaring 25th March as the “Day

of Genocide”. We should, therefore, renew our

pledge to work for the country from our respec-

tive positions imbued with the spirit of Libera-

tion War to build the ‘Sonar Bangla’ (Golden

Bengal) of Bangabandhu’s dream.

Joy Bangla!

Joy Bangabandhu!

Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali, M.P.

RENEWING THE PLEDGE TO BUILD THE ‘SONAR BANGLA’A MESSAGE FROM THE FOREIGN MINISTER

On this day, 46 years back, the

greatest Bangladeshi of all time, and

Father of the Nation Bangabandhu

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman proclaimed

independence of Bangladesh in the

early hours of March 26, 1971. Peo-

ple from all walks of life responded

to his clarion call, participated in

the War of Liberation and achieved

victory on 16 December, 1971 to give

us an independent Bangladesh. On

the occasion of the 46th anniversary

of the Independence and National

Day, I convey my heartfelt greetings

and warm wishes to my compatri-

ots living at home and abroad.


H.E. Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali

5

A MESSAGE OF REFLECTION FROM THE STATE MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS

Today is 26 March – our great Independence Day. This is the day of breaking

of the shackles of 24 years of subjugation; a day of reaching the enlightened

world from the abyss of darkness. On this very day in 1971 the Bangladeshi nation

started the War of Liberation against the misrule, exploitation and torture of the

Pakistani autocratic brutal ruler with the clarion call of our Father of the Nation,

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.


history of our Liberation War.

The Government of Prime Minister Sheikh

Hasina has been working tirelessly to materi-

alise the dream of the Father of the Nation for

a secular as well as hunger – and poverty-free

prosperous Bangladesh. As a result, Bangla-

desh is marching forward with US$ 1466 per

capita income, more than 7.1% growth rate

and US$ 32 billion of foreign currency reserve.

Today, Bangladesh is a role model to the out-

side world. These changes in Bangladesh are

towards prosperity and welfare. And, you, my

expatriate brothers and sisters are a part of

this onward movement. Today’s more than

US$ 14.91 Billion of remittance is the outcome

of your love for the motherland as well as

your families. This remittance is contributing

significantly to the development process of

Bangladesh.

To keep up with this pace of development we

all will be working unitedly under “Vision 2021”

declared by Honorable Prime Minister Sheikh

Hasina to transform Bangladesh into a middle

income country by 2021 and follow the path of

development to take Bangladesh to the level

of a developed country by 2041. We pledge

this on this day of independence.

Joy Bangla, Joy Bangabandhu.

Md. Shahriar Alam, M.P.

OOn this very day, I recall with deep reverence

the great Hero and the greatest Bangladeshi

of all time, the Father of the Nation Bangab-

andhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman whose vigorous

leadership inspired the Bangladeshi nation in

the War of Liberation. I pay my homage to our

three million martyrs and two hundred thou-

sand mothers and sisters whose supreme sac-

rifice and dishonour ushered us an independent

and sovereign Bangladesh coloured in red and

green. I remember all the martyrs of all the

movements and struggles; including from the

anti-colonial movement to the historical lan-

guage movement and mass upsurge of 1969 –

whose blood coloured our homeland and their

memory is shining in our national flag. The

achievement of our independence has made

these sacrifices glorious and meaningful.

The occupation forces unleashed a sudden at-

tack and started killing innocent and unarmed

Bangladeshi on the black night of the 25th

March 1971. They killed thousands of people

in cities and towns, including Dhaka. The pres-

ent Parliament on 11 March 2017 unanimously

adopted a resolution to observe 25 March as

“Day of Genocide” marking the brutality car-

ried out by the Pakistani Army on the black

night of March 25, 1971.

26 March is a day to remember the great lead-

er Bangabandhu Sheikh Muj ibur Rahman, war

heroes and their contributions as well as to

take oath to realise the spirit of our Liberation

War which motivated the Bangladeshi Nation

in its supreme sacrifices. This is also an occa-

sion to introduce a new generation to the true

H. E. Md. Shahriar Alam

6


CELEBRATING THE 45TH ANNIVERSARY OF DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH DENMARK: LOOKING AHEAD TO A GREENER FUTURE

OOn the eve of the 46th anniversary of the independence of Bangladesh, I recall with profound respect the Father of the Nation

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who proclaimed independence of Bangladesh in the early hours of 26th March 1971. I

also pay deep homage to the three million martyrs and two hundred thousand women who sacrificed their honour during the

nine-month long liberation war that resulted in laying the foundation of a secular, progressive and democratic Bangladesh.

Once labelled as a ‘bottomless basket’ by some soon after 1971, Bangladesh’s development trajectory now, by many metrics, is a unique success story.

Although the improvement in Bangladesh’s growth rate since 1990 is impressive, which averaged more than 6% continuously for the last 12 years de-

spite global economic volatility, it does not fully explain the country’s extraordinary results with regard to social development. Women empowerment

which has a major emphasis in the development programmes and is considered key to addressing poverty, has been one of the most significant gains

achieved in Bangladesh.

The opening of the resident Bangladesh Embassy in Copenhagen in 2015 bears testimony to a burgeoning partnership between Bangladesh and Den-

mark. Bilateral trade is now close to the billion-dollar mark which is, however, in our favour by a big margin. We are now looking forward to expanding

our export basket to increase the share of non-traditional items like ocean-going ships, ceramics, leather goods, pharmaceuticals and IT products and

services. At the same time, Bangladesh is ready to welcome increased investment from Denmark in sectors such as renewable energy, energy efficiency

and resource optimisation, green solutions to industrialisation, infrastructure, IT etc.

Keeping in sight the looming climate change debacle, the Government of Bangladesh is looking forward to a wider and deeper engagement with

Danish private and public sectors to secure and promote green growth in Bangladesh. During the first ever bilateral visit by any Bangladesh Foreign

Minister to Denmark, Foreign Minister A. H. Mahmood Ali, in a joint press statement issued in Copenhagen on 05 September 2016 said that, “In line with

the global transformative 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and taking into account the need for departure from “business as usual”, we need

to revitalise our bilateral cooperation through development of a broad-based strategic partnership for 2030 agenda for sustainable development. In

that pursuit, we want to learn from the Danish experiences and expertise in building public private partnerships, particularly in green growth by adopt-

7

ing green and clean energy initiatives.” We are

now looking forward to successfully hosting of

a Green Growth Conference in Dhaka in the last

week of April 2017 and bringing all private and

public sector stakeholders from Denmark and

Bangladesh on board to take the existing co-

operation on green issues to a whole new level.

In our Trade/Investment-Not-Aid/Assistance

policy we have underpinned trade & investment

as the engine of growth and development. Both

development and growth of the private sector

remain a cornerstone of our development strat-

egy and we continue to liberalise our trade re-

gime and investment policies, through reduction

of interest rates and cost of doing business. We

are committed to removing infrastructural bot-

tlenecks quickly, including modernising existing

port facilities, building deep sea ports and en-

suring unfettered supply of power. Investment

has been made attractive with liberal fiscal

policies that include tax holiday, concession-

ary duty on import of machinery, remittance of

royalty, technical knowhow and technical assis-

tance fee, 100% foreign equity, unrestricted exit

policy, full repatriation facilities of dividend and

capital on exit etc. In this regard, I invite Dan-

ish businesses to take advantage of the newly

established 100 special economic zones (SEZs)

across the country, where government is pro-

viding real-time, one-stop services to promote

faster economic growth.

Bangladesh is on its way to becoming an indus-

trialised, digitalised, middle income country by

realising its ‘Vision 2021’ by the golden jubilee

year of its independence, as envisaged by Prime

Minister Sheikh Hasina and a developed coun-

try by 2041. Bangladesh has already graduated

to a Low Middle Income Country. As Bangla-

desh strives to achieve those goals, it is high

time that Danish companies benefit from this

emergent prospect. And, Bangladesh is now

well-poised to offer a win-win scenario in terms

of opportunities and benefits for such ventures.

However, the bilateral relations between Bang-

ladesh and Denmark is much more than trade,

commerce or investment. We recall with grati-

tude the valuable moral and diplomatic support

that the people of Denmark extended during

Bangladesh’s War of Liberation in 1971. Den-

mark opened its mission in Dhaka in 1972 and

since then it has been played an instrumental

role, as a trusted friend and development part-

ner, with its growing, vibrant and dynamic Em-

bassy in Dhaka and pro-people programmes to

win the hearts and minds of the people in Bang-

ladesh. The relationship with Denmark has fur-

ther been strengthened recently through the

signing of two Danish initiatives - a three-year

Strategic Sector Cooperation and a five-year

Development Cooperation between the two

countries. The former focuses on occupation-

al safety and health standards in Bangladesh,

particularly in the readymade garments sector

while the latter is designed to address Bangla-

desh’s development needs in line with the Sus-

tainable Development Goals and its national 7th

Five-Year Plan (2016-2021) aimed to achieve

middle-income status.

While stationed in Copenhagen, I cannot but

talk about environmental issues which Den-

mark champions in. Climate change is an un-

fortunate and inevitable reality for a country

like Bangladesh, a low-lying delta of the river

Ganges, which lies between the Himalayans in

the north and the Bay of Bengal to the south,

making it prone to climate change. Bangladesh

is contributing the least to global warming (it

emits only around 0.3% of global greenhouse

gases), but has been destined to become the

worst victim of climate change, experiencing

climatic impacts like floods and flash floods,

cyclone and storm surges, salinity intrusion, ex-

treme temperature and draught, among others.

Climate change is no longer solely an environ-

mental issue in Bangladesh; it is threatening

its hard-earned food security, and what can

be more severe than this for a country which is

only three times bigger than Denmark in area

but with a population of 160 million? Besides,

we are afraid that, one of the most dramatic

impacts will be the forced displacement of peo-

ple throughout climate vulnerable countries like

Bangladesh as a result of losing their homes,

lands, property and livelihoods to the effects

of climate change. The Bangladesh Climate

Change Strategic Action Plan 2009 predicted

that 6-8 million people in Bangladesh would be

permanently displaced by 2050. We are now

witnessing waves of refugees fleeing wars and

unrest and in 2015 only, as reported in the me-

dia, more than a million migrants and refugees

crossed into Europe. In this backdrop, we also

should not lose sight of a situation down the

road when climate refugees from the vulnera-

ble corners of the world may take the centre

stage of the global crises unless the interna-

tional community does something meaningful

before it is too late.

While in Europe, I should touch upon the issue

of migration. Bangladesh is a staunch sup-

porter and promoter of safe migration. Today

around eight million Bangladeshis are living

and working outside the country and we relent-

lessly strive for legal migration of our nationals

abroad. At the same time, we underline that,

in the globalised “flattening world” as econo-

mies rapidly get connected in so many forms,

it is time that people are allowed to move free-

ly to secure mutual benefits for all economies.

Bangladesh has been leading the global migra-

tion discussion from the front in recent years.

On 8-9 December 2016, as the chair of the

Global Forum on Migration and Development

(GFMD), Bangladesh hosted the 9th Summit of

the Forum in Dhaka which turned out to be the

biggest multilateral meeting Bangladesh had

ever hosted. With the participation of 1,000

delegates from 130 countries including more

than 200 members of international civil socie-

ties and representatives from 30 UN and other

organisations, the Forum deliberated on all the

relevant dimensions of migration - the promo-

tion of migration and development, addressing

irregular migration, and responding to forced

displacement and refugees.

Last but not the least, as a responsible mem-

ber of the globalised world, we would like to

inform the readers that we are concerned that

terrorism, both in its magnitude and diversity,

has become one of the gravest challenges to

human security. Bangladesh is now a brand

name in keeping international peace and secu-

rity through UN operations. Bangladesh con-

demns terrorism in all its forms and manifesta-

tions. Our government has been following and

will continue to follow a “zero tolerance” policy

towards terrorism and religious extremism.

We look forward to building a solid partnership

with Denmark for the mutual benefit of our two

countries in the years to come.

Long live Bangladesh-Denmark friendship!Muhammad A. Muhith is the Bangladesh Ambassador to Denmark


H.E. Muhammad A. Muhith

7

8

BANGLADESH: NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR INVESTMENT

THE NEXT RISING STARBangladesh is now trying to establish itself as “the next rising star” in South Asia for foreign investment. The government has implemented a number of policy reforms designed to create a more open and competitive climate for private investment, both foreign and local.

Bangladesh has been quick on undertaking ma-jor restructure for establishing a market econo-my, with a key role played by the private sector. Its current development strategy is based on the creation and distribution of wealth through acceleration of growth, driven by competitive market forces and government-facilitating growth.

The government has speedily moved to trans-late its vision of becoming a middle-income country by 2021 through policy plans, such as “7th Five-year Plan,” “Perspective Plan,” the national social-security strategy, appropriate

sustainable development goals, and others. Bangladesh is consistently pursuing an open-door investment policy and playing a catalytic role to augment private investment, for which regulatory controls and constraints have been reduced to minimum level. The government has steadily liberalised its trade regime. Significant progress has been achieved in reducing non-tar-iff restrictions on trade, rationalising tariff rates and improving export incentives.

On the legal and administrative front the gov-ernment has initiated measures to give greater autonomy and independence to the judiciary – a prerequisite as viewed by investors for the restoration of confidence in the judicial system.

Relevant commercial laws, such as the Compa-ny Law, and securities laws have been updated and modernised. The Financial Reporting Act has been passed to ensure transparency of fi-nancial reporting. The Industrial Relations Act has been amended to enhance labour market efficiency.

Various pro-investor measures have been un-dertaken to match the global pace.

A WINNING COMBINATIONBangladesh is a winning combination of a com-petitive market, business-friendly environment and competitive cost structure that can yield great returns. Consider these 10 reasons why investing in Bangladesh makes good business sense:

1. Strong growth prospects: The economy of Bangladesh is currently at US$ 170 billion, which, according to the International Monetary Fund, will rise to US$ 322 billion, creating enor-mous economic opportunities.

2. Large populace of educated and motivated youth: 57 percent of the population are aged 25 years and below; high literacy rate (72 percent) among the youth aged 15-24; inspired young, who are hungry for work and growth; and two million youth entering the job market each year.

3. Strategic location, regional connectivity and worldwide access: Bangladesh is strategically located next to India, China and to the Associa-tion of Southeast Asian Nations market. As the South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) comes

into force, investors enjoy duty-free access to India, along with the European Union (EU), Ja-pan and other developed countries.

4. Strong local market and growth: Bangladesh has proven itself as an attractive investment lo-cation, with its 160-million population and con-sistent economic growth for a decade, leading to strong and growing domestic demand.

5. Proven export competitiveness: Bangladesh enjoys tariff-free access to the EU, Canada and Japan. In Europe, it enjoys 60 percent of the retail market group share and is one of the top manufacturing exporters.

6. Competitive incentives: Bangladesh offers the most liberal foreign direct-investment re-gime in South Asia, allowing 100-percent for-eign equity with unrestricted exit policy, remit-tance of royalty and repatriation of equity and dividend.

7. Export and economic zones: Bangladesh offers export-oriented industrial enclaves with infrastructural and logistical support for foreign investors. A building economic zone is in the process. The country is also developing its core infrastructures, roads, highways, surface trans-port and port facilities for a better business en-vironment.

8. Positive environment: A largely homoge-nous society with people living in harmony, ir-respective of race and religion, Bangladesh is a democratic country enjoying broad bipartisan political support for private investment. A legal and policy framework for business is conductive for foreign investment.

9. Increasing trade integration: Labour cost advantage (less than half the average of other Asian economies); Already the second-largest garments exporter globally with other sectors coming up, such as: information-technology outsourcing, ceramics, light engineering, etc.

10. Increasing urbanisation: Urbanisation rate is fast and will double over the next four decades; rapid industrialisation, infrastructure develop-ment and demographic shifts. Dhaka will be the world’s fifth-largest city with a population of 19 million by 2019, according to United Nations forecasts.


Since its birth, Bengal has harbored

the free spirit of entrepreneurs.

Muslin, spices and other premiums

have its exclusive market all over

the globe. Despite years of colonial

and oppressive rule, the economy

of Bangladesh is today positioning

itself as a destination for new busi-

ness opportunity and investment.

This has been brought on by the

steady growth of the economy over

the past decade, registering a six

percent growth, promising to reach

seven percent in years to come.

BANGLADESH’S HIDDEN STORY: A BOOMING ECONOMY

A significant piece of news emerged

from Bangladesh recently that re-

ceived little notice outside the

country. Last year for the first time,

foreign direct investment from oth-

er countries into Bangladesh sur-

passed $2 billion, a 44 percent in-

crease from the year before.


IWritten by Sajeeb Wazed

In other words, investors increasingly see Bang-

ladesh as a smart place to put their money. And

they aren’t alone.

According to a March poll by the U.S.-based In-

ternational Republican Institute, 83 percent of

Bangladeshis surveyed said the security situa-

tion in Bangladesh is very good or somewhat

good and 77 percent believe the country is po-

litically stable. In addition, 72 percent are op-

timistic that their personal economic situation

will improve.

Top sectors for direct investment last year in

Bangladesh included the ready-made garment

industry, of course. But investors also poured

money into oil and gas, banking, telecommu-

nication and power generation. One reason is,

unlike many of its neighbors, Bangladesh has a

liberal investment regime that allows 100 per-

cent foreign investment in many sectors and an

unrestricted exit policy.

In recent years, Bangladesh’s economy has

grown at a consistent, blistering rate of more

than 6 percent, making it one of the fastest

growing economies in the world. Over the past

nine months, that pace accelerated to 7 per-

cent. Today, the Bangladeshi economy stands

at about $180 billion. According to the World

Bank, that will rise to $322 billion by 2021, cre-

ating many more scalable investment opportu-

nities.

Growth is driven by the already-well-known

ready-made garment industry. But it’s a more

dynamic industry than most people know. In

fact, it’s a mistake to continue to think of Bang-

ladesh as t-shirt maker to the world. Bangla-

desh garment manufacturers produce high-end

clothing that sells in Europe’s best boutiques.

The garment industry has fostered more than

pure economic gains. Demography has also

been a winner. Garment factories have become

the great gender leveler in society. Most em-

ployees and managers are women, which has

led to their economic empowerment and rise in

stature in society.

At the same time, the Bangladesh garment in-

dustry is developing an international reputation

for being smart and nimble. “Bangladesh offers

ease of doing business, importing-exporting is

faster. R&D on new styles is faster as you can

import fabrics in three days. In India, it would

take 10 days,” Vijay Mathur, an official with the

Indian Apparel Export Promotion Council, re-

cently told the Business Standard.

As a result, Bangladesh garment exports are

likely to hit $27 billion this year, up 10 percent

from 2015.

The economic success story of Bangladesh has

also improved the health of its citizens.

Twenty-five years ago the average Bangladeshi

could hope to live only to age 56. Today, that

figure is over 70, which is among the most nota-

ble improvements in modern history, according

to the Asia Foundation. In fact, expected lon-

gevity in Bangladesh is more than four years

longer than in neighboring India and Pakistan.

Between 2000 and 2010, the number of poor in

Bangladesh dropped 26 percent from 63 million

to 47 million. Today, the overall rate of poverty

in the country is 22 percent, down from 40 per-

cent a decade ago.

The World Bank reports that labor income has

risen while birth rates have dropped, leading to

lower dependency ratios and higher per capita

income. The World Bank recently ranked Bang-

ladesh as a lower middle-income nation for the

first time.

The economic surge started after the Awami

League, the nation’s ruling party, won in a 2008

landslide. The impressive growth has been

nurtured and sustained by smart government

programs, savvy foreign investment and the en-

trepreneurial spirit of Bangladeshis, especially

its young people who are increasingly English

speaking and digitally savvy.

The bottom line is that Bangladesh is a legit-

imate – if underreported – economic success

story, and one that is only in its beginning.

Sajeeb Wazed is the chief information technology adviser to the government of Bangladesh and the son of Prime Min-ister Sheikh Hasina. Published in Diplo-matic Courier in May 2016

9

ARTS, CULTURE AND HERITAGE TOURISM OF BANGLADESH

Bangladesh is a country of diverse attractions, bountiful nature and friendly millions with more than a millennium of cultural

heritage. The landscape of Bangladesh looks like a magical tapestry in green woven intricately, crisscrossed by a network

of major rivers and their numerous tributaries and canals. In fact, Bangladesh is the largest riverine delta in the world. The

extensive river systems are, thus, fundamental to the country’s economy and the people’s way of life. We take you on a whirl-

wind journey through the interwoven cultural tapestry that is Bangladeshi heritage and tourism.

BIG AND BOLD CULTURE IN BANGLADESHHistory will tell you that Bangladesh has been the cradle of civilization and a centre of cultural diffusion since the dawn of history of mankind. It was

the meeting ground of various peoples in different states of civilization, the most primitive as well as the most advanced. The cultural history of Bang-

ladesh is one of the greatest and glorious heritages, for which every Bangladeshi is legitimately proud of. Each phase of the history of Bangladesh has

its distinct characteristics and every race of people who came and settled, left its individual racial, religious and cultural impacts in the form of temples,

stupas, monasteries and mosques along with their associated objects.


10

Basically an agricultural country, Bangladesh is

also steadily marching towards industrialisation

with investment from home and abroad. Bang-

ladesh is literally a multi-faced cultural collage.

Its deep-rooted heritage is amply reflected in

its architecture, literature, dance, drama, mu-

sic and painting. Influenced by great religion

- Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and Christianity -

Bangladesh has been a melting pot of diverse

races and confluence of civilizations.

Fairs and festivals, both religious and social

always play a significant role in the life of the

people of Bangladesh. Bengali New Year’s Day,

Independence Day, National Martyr’s Day, the

International Mother Language Day, Eid-ul-fitr,

Eid-ul Azha, Durga Puja, Christmas Day, Bud-

dha Purnima are a few of such occasions to

mention. Bangladesh is perhaps the only coun-

try in the world which observes official holidays

on important occassions of all religions. Beside

these, various fairs and exhibitions are held

throughout the country round the year.

Visual arts and crafts are important attractions

for tourists and can be a source of income for

residents of the tourism areas including people

living in village and rural areas. For the authen-

ticity of local arts and crafts, these arts reflect

local designs, materials and craft skills. The

whole of Bangladesh is famous for arts and

crafts. Bangladesh has developed some special

areas such as Dhamrai, Comilla, Sonargaon,

Rajshahi, which are famous for local arts and

crafts. Government has taken some institution-

al measures for developing and marketing dif-

ferent sorts of visual arts and crafts.

Traditional dance, music and drama perfor-

mances of Bangladesh are also of much in-

terest to many tourists. There are also institu-

tional training programmes in Bangladesh to

ensure high quality levels of the performances.

Bangladesh, being a newly tourism-developed

country, puts forth its best effort to find out the

techniques for the management and marketing

of its tourism at historic and cultural sites, with

particular reference to mass destinations.

The traditional music in Bangladesh shares the

perspectives of that of the Indian sub-continent.

Music in Bangladesh can be divided into three

distinct categories - classical, folk and modern.

The classical music, both vocal and instrumen-

tal is rooted in the remote-past of the sub-con-

tinent. Ustad Alauddin Khan and Ustad Ayet Ali

Khan are two names in classical instrumental

music who are internationally known. The story

of folk song abounds in spiritual lyrics of La-

lan Shah, Hasan Raja, Romesh Shill and many

anonymous lyricists. Bangla music is enriched

with Jari, Shari, Bhatiali, Murshidi and oth-

er types of folk songs. Rabindra Sangeet and

Nazrul Sangeet are Bangalees’ precious her-

itage. Modern music is also practiced widely.

Contemporary patterns have more inclinations

to the west. Pop song and band groups are also

coming up, mainly in Dhaka City.

Bangladesh has a rich tradition of Art. Speci-

mens of ancient terracotta and pottery show

remarkable artistry. Modern painting was pi-

oneered by artists like Zainul Abedin, Qamrul

Hasan, and S.M. Sultan. Zainul Abedin and S.M.

Sultan who earned worldwide fame by their

stunning sketches of the Bengal Famine in 1943.

Other famous artists of Bangladesh are Abdur

Razzak, Qayyum Chowdhury, Murtaza Baseer,

Aminul Islam, Debdas Chakraborty, Kazi Abdul

Baset, Syed Jahangir, and Mohammad Kibria.

The earliest available specimen of Bengali liter-

ature is about a thousand years old. During the

mediaeval period, Bengali Literature developed

considerably with the patronage of Muslim

rulers. Chandi Das, Daulat Kazi and Alaol are

some of the famous poets of the period. The era

of modern Bengali Literature began in the late

nineteenth century; Rabindranath Tagore, the

Nobel Laureate is a vital part of Bangalee cul-

ture. Kazi Nazrul Islam, Michael Madhusudan

Datta, Sarat Chandra Chattopadhaya, Bankim

Chandra Chattopadhaya, Mir Mosharraf Hos-

sain and Kazi Ahdul Wadud are the pioneers of

modern Bengali Literature.

CULTURE AND HERITAGE SIGHTSThe other important segment of Cultural tour-

ism in Bangladesh is archaeological heritages.

Cultural tourism based on archaeological herit-

ages is being developed in a significant manner.

Since Bangladesh inherits a rich cultural herit-

age of its colourful history of more than two

and a half millennia it plays a vital role in the

development of cultural tourism in the country.

It has a good market share compared to other

segments of the tourism industry. Bangladesh

believes cultural tourism can include all prod-

ucts associated with public archaeological pro-

motion, including visits to archaeological sites,

museums, interpretation centres, re-enactments

of historical occurrences, and the rediscovery of

indigenous products, festivals, etc.

Though the total enumeration of archaeological

heritage sites in the country is not yet complete,

a survey of four divisions i.e., Rajshahi, Khulna,

Barisal and Dhaka indicates that the number of

sites of various nature and dimensions may be

more than two thousand. So far only 417 have

been declared as protected archaeological sites

for which Department of Archaeology is sup-

posed to preserve and promote. Of them about

30% are cultural mounds, which needs to be

exposed and the rest are either standing mon-

uments or exposed by archaeological excava-

tion and subsequently preserved. The latter two

categories include city site, palace, port, bridge,

road, monastery, temple, mosque, tomb, fort,

inns etc. Notable of them are Mahasthagarh

and Pundranagar in Bogra district, Mainamati

in Comilla district, 60-domed mosque (a UNE-

SCO designated World Heriatge Site in Bager-

hat district, Wari-Bateswar in Narsingdi District,

Panam City in Narayanganj, Tajhat Zamindar

Bari in Rangpur, Paharpur Monastery (also a

UNESCO designated World Heritage Site) in

Naogaon district, Kantaji Temple in Dinajpur

District, Lalbag Fort in Dhaka, etc. All these

monuments create a centre of attention to a

large number of visitors both from home and

abroad.

Overall, Bangladesh has plenty of opportunity

for developing cultural tourism. Tourists can ob-

serve harmony and peace prevailing among the

people of different religions and cultural back-

grounds in this beautiful country.

Source: Ziaul Haque Howlader – Deputy Manager of Bang-

ladesh Parjatan Corporation (Govt. Tourism Organisation).


11

DOING BUSINESS IN BANGLADESH: COMPETITIVE SECTORS TO LOOK OUT FOR

Bangladesh is recognised as

having some of the most lib-

eral investment policies and

incentive regimes in South

Asia. The country has been

promoting Foreign Direct In-

vestments (FDI) for decades

and The Board of Investment

(BOI), the country’s one-

stop investment and facili-

tation agency, offers a wide

range of services to inves-

tors from conceptualisation

to product marketing ad-

vice. The BOI has identified

several competitive sectors

for investors…

BLUE ECONOMYThe concept of the Blue Economy is cur-

rently resonating among several coun-

tries across the world and Bangladesh is

perhaps now one of the most vocal ones

among them. The added enthusiasm

has been prompted by two recent ver-

dicts, handed down by the Permanent

Court of Arbitration (PCA) constituted

under UN Convention of the Law of the

Sea (UNCLOS) and the International

Tribunal for Law of the Sea (ITLOS) de-

limitating maritime boundaries with In-

dia and Myanmar respectively. Through

the verdicts, more than one third of the

country’s earlier total territorial area has

been added up to it allowing Bangla-

desh to exclusively exercise its own sov-

ereign right on 118,813 sq. km. of waters

extending up to 12 nautical miles of ter-

ritorial sea and a further Exclusive Eco-

nomic Zone (EEZ) of 200 nautical miles

into the sea. To keep up the momentum,

Bangladesh hosted the first ever Inter-

national Workshop on Blue Economy in

September 2014 in Dhaka and proposed

the Bay of Bengal (BoB) Partnership


12

for a Blue Economy. At the core of the Blue

Economy lies the idea of “optimisation of nat-

ural marine resources within ecological limits”,

and the “de-coupling of socioeconomic devel-

opment from environmental degradation”. The

new found vast area of sea has opened up a

horizon in the areas of deep sea fishing, respon-

sible harvesting of marine resources and maxi-

mum usage of fish parts on an industrial scale.

In terms of offshore gas exploration, while

Bangladesh has an impressive gas success ratio

of 3:1 (3 exploration wells drillings, resulting in

1 discovery) observed in the onshore area, the

success ratio in the offshore is less impressive,

i.e. 9:1. Until 2014, 19 exploratory wells were

drilled in BoB, resulting in only two gas dis-

coveries, i.e. the Sangu and the Kutubdia, with

small reserves. Bangladesh is yet to assess the

true potential of its offshore oil and gas pros-

pects. Major international oil and gas compa-

nies are now taking part in bids in exploring

hydrocarbon resources in the Bay of Bengal.

The Bangladesh government has taken up a

Tk. 1600 crore project to explore the marine re-

sources. Already, presence of uranium, thorium,

white clay, glass sand, metallic monazite, zir-

conium, stornium, rubidium, chromium yttrium,

nioblum and ruthium has been detected in the

Bay of Bengal.

SHIPBUILDINGShipbuilding is as natural as a Bangladeshi in-

dustry as jute production, tea-cultivation and

ready-made garments, among others; yet for a

variety of reasons it has started coming out of

the shadow only recently. In the past decades,

Bangladesh was recognised as a ship-breaking

nation but a favourable domestic setting and

global market competitiveness have contribut-

ed to what has now been witnessed as a renais-

sance in making, creating, in turn, a sector ca-

pable of earning the second-highest volume of

foreign-exchange after ready-made garments.

There are more than small 200 shipyards in

the country and the industry presently has em-

ployed more than 100,000 skilled and 150,000

semi-skilled workers. About two million people

are directly or indirectly linked to it.

The prospects for Bangladesh’s shipbuilding

industry are bright mainly due to a large pool

of practically experienced workforce (available

welders, cutters and other technical hands may

be trained quickly with codes and standards),

vast river front and quiet deep water up to sea,

low cost of human input as a major strength

and a reasonably low cost of infrastructure.

Shipbuilding yards in Bangladesh are now ex-

porting small and medium-sized ships for the

highly competitive European market.

With a dream to take the industry to the next

level, to build bigger ocean-going vessels, Bang-

ladesh has been developing its infrastructures

and investing in research and development.

With an aggressive marketing plan, the new

breed of entrepreneurs is expected to realise

this dream and firmly establish Bangladesh as

a major ship-building nation to sercure its due

place in the global industry.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGYSoftware and IT service industry in Bangladesh

has crossed a long road over the last few dec-

ades. It has matured and joined the mainstream

industries. This industry is contributing signifi-

cantly in the national income and also played a

crucial role in creating high quality employment

for a sizable portion of young graduates. Con-

siderable achievements in the IT sector have

already been made over several years towards

building a ‘Digital Bangladesh’ and more ini-

tiatives are coming. To fully capitalise on the

opportunities offered by the worldwide IT ex-

pansion, Bangladesh pushes heavily towards

further developing the IT sector to draw the

attention of foreign investors competing with

other technologically advanced/well-invested

Asian countries. The demographic advantage,

the stability and the social developments have

set the platform for Bangladesh to emerge as

one of the next large players in the global ser-

vice outsourcing market. As outsourcing costs in

traditional service provider countries like China,

India and Philippines are rising dramatically and

global clients are increasingly looking for diver-

sification of sourcing portfolio, Bangladesh now

presents itself with the potential of becoming

a leading outsourcing destination for software

and IT enabled services.

The largest ICT event staged in Bangladesh,

‘Digital World 2016’ held in October 2016 in

Dhaka showcased how much Bangladesh can

gain through developing ICT and ICT-related

industries. By 2021, Bangladesh shall have over

two million people working in the ICT sector

and by this time, the foreign income in this sec-

tor is expected to exceed five billion dollars. By

2025, 34 million enterprises will be established

in the e-commerce sector by small and medium

entrepreneurs and e-commerce will not be only

city-centric; rather it will grow up in the villages

of Bangladesh.

Bangladesh’s ICT sector has huge potential

for foreign investment. According to BASIS, at

least 30 ICT companies have been established

through joint ventures with overseas firms or

as offshore developments. The central bank

of Bangladesh - Bangladesh Bank is seeking to

double government-related ICT projects under

the Equity and Entrepreneurship Fund (EEF).

The EEF fund is managed through the Invest-

ment Corporation of Bangladesh (ICB), and of-

fers to fund 49 percent of project costs through

equity positions.

Approximately 250,000 professionals, majority

IT and other graduates, are employed in the in-

dustry. Over 70% of the companies are found

to be involved in development and maintenance

of software for their clients. Currently, software

and IT service companies in Bangladesh are

exporting software and related services to 60

countries including USA, Canada, UK, Sweden,

Australia, Denmark, Netherlands, Japan etc.

Software applications and IT-related services

are also available in the custom business ap-

plications, contract programming services, web

content development, e-governance software


13


14

tools, data conversion and transcription servic-

es, call centres and BPO (business process out-

sourcing) services, etc.

PHARMACEUTICALThe pharmaceutical industry is one of the most

dynamic and powerful sectors in Bangladesh.

It is technologically one of the most developed

manufacturing industries and currently contrib-

utes about one percent to total GDP with great

potential for expansion. Total domestic health-

care expenditures are currently approximately

three percent of GDP, offering substantial op-

portunity for domestic pharmaceutical sales in

addition to exports. Increased education levels,

enhanced awareness of healthcare, growing

per capita incomes, the emergence of private

healthcare services and the government’s ex-

panding public expenditures in this sector con-

tinue to stimulate a rise in demand.

Bangladesh’s pharmaceutical sector remains

largely protected from external competition, as

imports are restricted for similar drugs to those

that are manufactured locally. The World Trade

Organization’s (WTO) Trade-Related Aspects of

Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs) agreement

permits Bangladesh to reverse-engineer pat-

ented generic pharmaceutical products to sell

locally and export to markets around the world.

The industry in Bangladesh is growing at more

than 18% annually and emerging as a global

hub for the Contract Manufacturing for the

pharmaceutical formulations. According to

Business Monitor International’s latest report,

Bangladesh has moved up one place to occupy

the 14th position in 17 regional markets surveyed

in BMls Pharmaceutical & Healthcare Business

Environment Ratings for the Asia region. With

exports to more than 117 countries across the

world, two companies from Bangladesh have

recently acquired the US-FDA Certifications,

Bangladesh pharmaceutical industry has the

potentials to offer opportunities for multina-

tional firms to partner with Bangladeshi com-

panies to produce for domestic or international

markets.

FROZEN FOODThe frozen foods exports sector is the second

largest export sector in the country. Bangladesh

exporters enjoy credibility and trustworthiness

in the global market. The frozen food sub-sec-

tor has opportunities in the Middle East, EU,

North America and Far East countries. Accord-

ing to information from the Bangladesh Frozen

Foods Exporters Association there are 145 fish

processing plants with capacity of 265,000 MT,

74 plants are licensed by the government and

71 are approved by the EU. This export-orient-

ed industry includes the following sub-sectors,

which need proper attention for augmentation

of production, attaining international standard

quality and export earnings; hatcheries, sus-

tainable aqua-culture technology, feed meals

plants and processing operations for value-add-

ed products. Investment in the frozen food sec-

tor with new technology and equipment has

vast potential for growth.

Within this sector, the government is promoting

semi-intensive shrimp farming. Shrimp process-

ing and exports are currently dominated by a

smaller, unorganised sector and there is a 12.5

percent cash incentive for shrimp exports.

AGRO-BASED INDUSTRYAlthough the share of agriculture in the econ-

omy has been declining vis-à-vis industrial and

service sectors, its contribution to the GDP is

still around 16%. With innovation, new tech-

nology and infrastructural development, agro-

based industry holds tremendous potentials in

Bangladesh. It has fulfilled the preconditions of

access to inputs and raw materials in setting up

successful agro-based industries. Alluvial soil, a

year-round frost-free environment, adequate

water supply and abundance of cheap labour

are readibly available in Bangladesh. Increased

cultivation of vegetables, spices and tropical

fruits in Bangladesh can ensure adequate sup-

ply of raw materials to local agro-processing

industries for both domestic and international

markets.

Once known as the ‘golden fiber of Bangla-

desh’ the natural and biodegradable jute and

jute products are gaining traction in receiving

renewed attention locally and internationally.

Bangladesh, being the major producer of jute

in the world, is now well posed to fully benefit

from the naturally gifted fibre in meeting the in-

creased global demands in the wake of raising

environmental awareness.

There is a substantial demand–supply gap in

the agro-based industry both in the domestic

and international markets. Today, Bangladesh

is exporting its agro-based products to around

100 countries all over the world.

CERAMICSThe global market of ceramic tableware is

about US$10 billion and Bangladesh ceramic

tableware has a good reputation in interna-

tional markets such as North America and EU

countries. Bangladesh has achieved significant

technical expertise in ceramic tableware man-

ufacturing. Historically, the tableware industry

is labour-intensive and Bangladesh has skilled

manpower in ceramic industry with high val-

ue add. Sanitary ware and insulation too have

huge demands in domestic and international

markets. Bangladesh, being a gas-rich and low-

labour-cost economy, is perfectly positioned to

be a strategic partner in production and supply

of ceramic products. Bangladesh welcomes in-

vestment interests in this sector.

15

BANGLADESH’S RENEWABLE ENERGY SECTOR HAS ‘HUGE POTENTIAL’

Climate change in the form of extreme-weather events, tidal surges, and erratic rainfall has negatively impacted agricultural

production, industrial development and social structures – but Bangladesh is not waiting on the word to save the country –

renewable energy is the plan. “We are fighting for our own future, albeit with limited resources and technologies,” said Bang-

ladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in 2015.


BBangladesh was the first developing nation to create a Climate Change

Strategy and Action Plan. From 2009-2010 to 2014-15, the government al-

located Tk 30.30 billion (US$ 385 million) to the country’s climate-change

trust fund. All activities have been targeted toward adaptation to envi-

ronmental changes with a view to protecting human lives from floods

and hurricanes, and protecting the environment from pollution caused by

rapid urbanisation and unsustainable industrialisation.

Despite these efforts, climate change continues to affect the lives and

livelihoods of millions in this unique and active delta. “We cannot do it

alone, which is why we need the international community to stand up

for nations such as ours through the United Nations Standard Develop-

ment Goals and the climate-change process. In order to address climate

change, a critical balance between adaptation (adjusting to the impacts

of climate change) and mitigation (reducing the scale of climate change)

will have to be maintained,” the Prime Minister went on to say.

Being aware of the finite stock of fossil fuels and their negative impact on

the environment, countries across the world are now leaning towards re-

newable energies like solar energy, wind energy, bio-energy, hydropower,

geothermal and ocean energy in efforts to ensure energy security. Keep-

ing pace with this global trend, Deputy Secretary (Renewable Energy),

Power Division says that Bangladesh has attached due importance to the

development of renewable energy.

DEVELOPMENT OF RENEWABLE ENERGY IN BANGLADESHThe Deputy Secretary goes on to say that the development of renewable

energy has been identified as one of the programmes of Bangladesh’s

Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan. “Renewable energy options

are also included in the Bangladesh National Building Code. A dedicated

policy, Renewable Energy Policy of Bangladesh, has been in force since

2009, which envisions having 5% power from renewable energy sources

by 2015 and 10% by 2020. The government has established Sustainable

and Renewable Energy Development Authority (SREDA) to promote re-

newable energy and energy efficiency. To strengthen international coop-

eration, Bangladesh became one of the initial members of the Interna-

tional Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the only inter-governmental

agency working exclusively on renewable energy. Those endeavours

manifest Bangladesh’s commitment towards development of renewable

energy.”

Bangladesh receives an average daily solar radiation in the range of 4-5

kWh/m². “Encouraged by the availability of solar radiation, Power Di-

vision has initiated a programme to generate

500 MW of solar-based electricity,” explains

the Deputy Secretary.

Today, hydropower makes up the largest share

of electricity generated from renewable sources

as the global capacity reaches 1,000 GW. The

only hydroelectric power plant was established

at Kaptai with present installed capacity of 230

MW. Bangladesh Power Development Board

(BPDB) identified two other sites at Sangu (140

MW) and Matamuhuri (75 MW) for large hy-

dropower plants. Further exploitation of hydro-

power appears to be limited due to flat terrain

of Bangladesh. Several studies have identified a

few sites having potential ranging from 10 kW

to 5 MW, but no appreciable capacity has yet

been established.

Bio-energy is energy derived from any form

of biomass, including bio-heat, bio-power, and

bio-fuel. Bangladesh Agricultural University

and Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Indus-

trial Research (BCSIR) launched biogas tech-

nology in the country in early 1970s. Against an

estimated potential of 4 million biogas plants

about 70,000 plants have been established so

far throughout the country. Tapping potential

of biomass, two rice husk-based power plants

of 250 kW at Gazipur and 400 kW at Thakur-

gaon, and seven poultry waste-based power

plants at different sites with aggregated capac-

ities exceeding 1 MW, have been established at

the initiative of private sector with support from

IDCOL.

Except for two pilot wind-power plants at Mu-

huri Dam (0.9 MW) in Feni and Kutubdia Island

(1.0 MW) in Cox’s Bazaar, comprehensive as-

sessment of wind power potential is still ongo-

ing. BCSIR, LGED, Bangladesh Centre for Ad-

vanced Studies, Danish company Vestas Wind

System A/S, German Development Cooperation

(GIZ) and Renewable Energy Resource Centre

of Dhaka University assessed wind resource, at

some length, in a few sites.

Renewable energy is no more an ambitious ex-

pensive venture. Because of high research and

development cost of renewable energy, it con-

tinues to lag in relation to conventional energy.

For example, cost of solar PV panels declined

more than 60% in the past three years. Interna-

tional Energy Agency projects that renewables

and natural gas are the big mixer in the race to

meet energy demand growth until 2040!

GLOBAL ACTIVISM FOR BETTER RENEWABLE ENERGYSouth African human rights activist and former

International Executive Director of international

environmentalist group Greenpeace, Kumi Nai-

doo, is a strong advocate for renewable energy.

He now leads the Global Call for Climate Action

(Tcktcktck.org), which brings together environ-

mental, aid, religious and human rights groups,

labour unions, scientists and others and has or-

ganised mass demonstrations around climate

negotiations. He recently sat down with the

Dhaka Tribune to discuss amongst other things,

Bangladesh’s potential to be a global player in

the renewable energy sector.

Dhaka Tribune (DT): Bangladesh has experi-

enced three large-scale oil spills in the last year.

One of them took place in the world’s biggest

mangrove forest Sundarbans. What do you

think the country should do to reduce or man-

age such man-made disasters?

Kumi Naidoo (KN): If we are going to count the

adverse effects of climate change, Bangladesh

is already being considered as one of the most

vulnerable countries. The country has been ex-periencing sea level rise and salinity that im-pacts the coastal community.

Bangladesh now needs to plan 100% access to

renewable energy, including for the transport

sector. In reality, we need to think about the

transport system which is not oil dependent.

I believe Bangladesh has talented people and it

has the capacity to attract funding and better

technology to get ready for future catastro-

phes. Now is the time to plan for the future.

As of now, oil spills are a major concern. It is

an indication of the threat that oil poses. Oil

spills not only ruin water bodies, but also pose

threats to land and its culture. Although the im-

pacts of oil spills are long-term, it can destroy

natural life and biodiversity as well.

Bangladesh is having to cope with the impacts

despite not being liable for carbon emission. I

think the country’s stance right now is good.

Right now, the country can demand financing

from the global community for better technol-

ogy to help the country fight future climatic

problems.

DT: Because of an ever-increasing thirst for

energy, Bangladesh is planning to install coal-

fired power plants of thousand-megawatt ca-

pacities. Simultaneously, the country has an-

nounced to reduce carbon emission to 5% by

2030 voluntarily, and to 15% if it gets finance

and technology. What are your views on this

initiative?

KN: I believe Bangladesh has huge potential in

renewable energy. It has solar, wave, wind and

also bio-gases that should be used properly and

this should be done within the next five to 10

years. The country should more emphasize on

clean energy.Bangladesh is investing in young

people and technology using its status as a de-

veloping country to get knowledge transferred.

The successful countries in the future will be

those who adopt green technology.

Source: Dhaka Tribune, 27 January 2016


16

BANGLADESH€¦ · The Bangladesh Awami League, led by Bangabandhu won overwhelm-ing majority in...

Documents

Transcript of BANGLADESH€¦ · The Bangladesh Awami League, led by Bangabandhu won overwhelm-ing majority in...