Foreign Adviser Chowdhury visits Brussels, calls for greater access to European market; Food and developmental aid earmarked to Dhaka by USAID, World Bank, IMF, German development bank; BSF, BDR to jointly tackle cross-border crimes
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    • Foreign Adviser Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury on an official visit to Brussels met the European External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner and President of the European Parliament Hans-Gert Pottering. During his meetings, the status of the bilateral, political and economic relations between Bangladesh and the European Union were reviewed. Chowdhury on his part stressed the need for greater market access of Bangladeshi manufactures to the European market1.

    Reports noted the large amounts of food and developmental aid being pledged to Bangladesh by various agencies. For instance, USAID earmarked approximately 90,000 metric tons of food aid worth $67.8 million for the current year2. The World Bank will be providing $250 million in credit to Bangladesh for renovation works in transport sector while the IMF will be providing Bangladesh with a $217.7 million loan to stave off pressure on its balance of payments (BoP) from high import prices3. The German development bank KfW will also be providing €31.4 million for the Dhaka Power Distribution Company Ltd (DPDC) to help improve power supply in the capital4.

    In other developments, the Border Security Force (BSF) and Bangladesh Rifles (BDR), after six days of deliberations, signed an agreement on April 12 to jointly tackle cross-border crimes like arms smuggling and trafficking of women and children by sharing timely and actionable information5. Stephen Nicholas Evans was appointed as the next British High Commissioner to Bangladesh while the newly-appointed US Ambassador James Francis Moriarty arrived in Bangladesh on April 10. Also, Bangladeshi troops serving with the international peacekeeping force in Ivory Coast were decorated with the UN’s peacekeeping medal6.

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