Bangladesh President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir urges Canada to increase investment and cooperation in agriculture, food security, IT, education and healthcare during a meeting with High Commissioner Ajit Singh.
Bangladesh President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has urged Canada to increase its investment in Bangladesh and expand bilateral cooperation across key economic and development sectors. He made the request during a meeting with Canadian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Ajit Singh at Bangabhaban.
During the meeting, the Canadian High Commissioner handed over a congratulatory message from Canadian Governor General Louise Arbour to the Bangladesh President on assuming office. Fakhrul thanked the Canadian government and highlighted the longstanding relationship between the two countries.
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The discussions covered opportunities to strengthen trade and investment ties. The Canadian High Commissioner said bilateral trade between Bangladesh and Canada had exceeded C$4 billion annually, while noting that there was scope for further expansion. He also informed the President about the upcoming visit of Canada’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs to Bangladesh.
Fakhrul called for greater Canadian cooperation in agriculture, food security, fertiliser, information technology and outsourcing. He also sought expanded cooperation in education, particularly in technical and technological education, nursing and medical fields. The areas were identified as potential avenues for strengthening economic and human-capital cooperation between the two countries.
The Rohingya crisis was another key issue discussed during the meeting. The Canadian High Commissioner highlighted Ottawa’s continued assistance to Bangladesh, stating that Canada had provided around US$600 million in support. Fakhrul expressed appreciation for the assistance and called for Canada to play a stronger role in creating international pressure for the voluntary, safe and sustainable return of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar.
The President also referred to Bangladesh’s efforts to institutionalise democratic practices and sought Canadian cooperation in this area. He said the government was undertaking reform initiatives following what he described as a prolonged absence of democratic and parliamentary practices.
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Fakhrul further noted the contribution of more than 100,000 Bangladeshis to Canada’s development, underscoring the importance of people-to-people links between the two countries.
Senior officials from the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry and the President’s office attended the meeting, while Canada was represented by Political Counsellor Marcus Devies alongside the High Commissioner. The engagement comes as Dhaka seeks to broaden economic, educational and development cooperation with Canada while strengthening bilateral trade and investment ties.