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For the first time ever, a Bangladeshi female health professional has been appointed as the representative of the World Health Organization (WHO) to the Maldives.

Dr Nazneen Anwar, a public health expert with more than 35 years of professional experience in the field of public health, was nominated as the WHO Representative to the Maldives on April 8, 2021. She is the first Bangladeshi woman to be awarded this post by the World Health Organization, said a media release on Tuesday.

Dr Nazneen Anwar presented her letter of credence to Maldives Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid on April 18.

Apart from holding a master’s degree in public health and a certificate in public health research from Harvard University, Dr Nazneen Anwar has garnered professional hands-on experience in multiple fields, including mental health, health policy, planning, and capacity development, non-communicable diseases, nutrition, vaccine-preventable diseases, disability prevention, health research, and development. She has worked in different capacities for the WHO regional office for South-East Asia, WHO Country Office Bangladesh, and Bangladesh Ministry of Health.

Credited with mapping out detailed plans for the development and implementation of several innovative approaches aimed at strengthening mental health care systems, she has spearheaded various initiatives related to mental health and substance use policy.

Born to an aristocratic Muslim family in Chittagong, Nazneen Anwar’s late father Mahbub Alam Anwar was the founding president of the Agrabad Chamber, now the Foreign Investment Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FICCI).

A mother of two sons and one daughter, Nazneen was a student of St Scholastica High School and Chittagong College, while her alma mater was Chittagong Medical College.

 

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Greek Minister for Migration and Asylum Notis Mitarachi has expressed interest to make some arrangement for recruiting agricultural workers from Bangladesh on short-term basis.

During a meeting with Bangladesh Ambassador Ashud Ahmed at his office in Athens yesterday, the minister also promoted regular and safe migration. The ambassador proposed to the minister to consider bringing the large number of Bangladeshi nationals working in agricultural sector of Greece to legal fold who are positively contributing to the economy of the country, according to a press release.

At that time, he proposed either to regulariae their status by issuing residence permit to them or registering them as agricultural workers which will allow them access to health, sanitation, security and legal services.

Migration and Asylum Minister Mitarachi responded positively and informed that the Greek Government is going to issue 15,000 temporary work permits to irregular agricultural workers, given that they apply through their respective employers.

However, he reaffirmed that the irregular migrants who have exhausted all legal means to stay have to return to their country of origin. Greek government is strictly pursuing this policy to stem irregular migration and smuggling and wants to facilitate regular migration by all means, he said.

In response to the proposal of the ambassador to establish a legal framework for the recruitment of Bangladeshi agricultural workers, Mitarachi expressed the Greek government's readiness to positively consider such proposal from Bangladesh.

He mentioned that agricultural workers from Bangladesh may be issued with two years' work visa which would be beneficial for both sides.

The ambassador also requested to expedite the processing of pension for Bangladeshi expatriates upon return to Bangladesh after retirement. The minister was optimistic about the issue and assured of his support in this regard.

 

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Germany has shown its interest to invest in the Bangladesh Railways and construct new rail tracks on the Jashore's Navaron to Satkhira route.

German Ambassador Peter Fahrenholtz came up with the interest while meeting the Railways Minister Nurul Islam Sujan at his office on Thursday. Besides, Fahrenholtz has also shown interest to invest in other sectors of the country's railways.

The government is operating several projects to enhance the rail communications across the country, the Railways Minister informed the ambassador, adding that construction of new rail tracks on Cox's Bazar route is also underway.

Dhaka to Jashore rail tracks will be installed under the Padma Bridge project, the minister said, adding that construction of Bangabandhu rail bridge on the Jamuna River is also on the run.

The government has also initiated to turn most of the single line tracks into double lines, Nurul Islam said."Measures have been taken to bring all districts of the country under the railway network", he added.

He urged the German ambassador to invest in the country's railway sector for its upgradation with modern technologies.

The minister also sought assistance regarding training of Bangladeshi officials in Germany aiming to boost their technical skills. .

Lawmaker of Satkhira-2 constituency, Mir Moshtaque Ahmed Robi, railways ministry's secretary, Md Selim Reza, director general of the ministry, Dhirendra Nath Mazumder were also present at the meeting among others.

 

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New Delhi: From providing India with Covid relief materials to extending financial help to Sri Lanka in its hour of crisis, Bangladesh has started to showcase its economic rise and use it to forge deeper ties with neighbours.

Earlier this week, Bangladesh agreed to extend a $200 million currency swap facility to Sri Lanka. This will help in boosting their economy even as it will enable Colombo to tide over the massive debt crisis it is facing at present, diplomatic sources told ThePrint.

The foreign debt situation of Sri Lanka is at a critical juncture leading to a massive balance of payment issues. Sri Lanka has reportedly $3.7 billion of foreign debt maturing this year, hence this cooperation from Bangladesh is expected to be a lifeline for their economy.

According to sources, the arrangement was finalised during Sri Lanka Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa’s visit to Bangladesh in March this year.

A currency swap is a transaction in which two parties exchange an equivalent amount of money with each other, but in different currencies. It helps in reducing the cost of borrowing in a foreign currency at favourable rates.

Sri Lankan economy has been in deep trouble ever since the 2019 Easter bombings and subsequently the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic that has wreaked havoc for its tourism industry and other sectors.

Bangladesh is also among the 40 countries that have sent Covid relief aid to India twice as the country battles the second wave.

On 18 May, Dhaka handed over 2,672 boxes of various anti-viral drugs and Covid protective gears to India. Prior to that, Dhaka had on 6 May sent 10,000 vials of Remdesivir to India.

Bangladesh, which is expected to register a GDP growth rate of 5.8 per cent this fiscal, has even come under the US’ radar due to its strategic location in the Indo-Pacific region.

In April this year, the US Chamber of Commerce launched the US-Bangladesh Business Council looking at the investment potential by American investors there, and also enhance two-way trade.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina-led Bangladesh government has also garnered praise from arch-rival Pakistan for its growing economic prowess.

“Every government in Pakistan, including the current one, has gone around the world with a begging bowl… It was unthinkable, 20 years back, that Bangladesh’s GDP per-capita in 2020 would be almost twice that of Pakistan. Bangladesh could be an economic powerhouse in 2030 if it grows at the same rate as in the past. If Pakistan continues its dismal performance, it is in the realm of possibility that we could be seeking aid from Bangladesh in 2030,” Abid Hasan, a former adviser to the World Bank for the Pakistan Program, said in an opinion piece in one of Pakistan’s leading national dailies.

The new ‘Royal Bengal Tiger of Asia’

According to Prabir De, professor at the Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS), said the main reason behind Bangladesh’s economic growth is that it continues to reap benefits from the European Union’s Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP) programme and other trade preferences.

“It is due to this continuous support through the EU’s GSP scheme that Dhaka has been able to earn considerable revenues from strategic exports. Besides, Bangladesh does receive a good amount of remittances as well,” De said.

Mizanur Rahman, Commissioner, Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission, told ThePrint that Bangladesh’ forex reserves have reached $45 billion in 2021 from around $9 billion in 2010, while inward remittances have touched $200 billion.

“Bangladesh believes in behaving responsibly with its neighbours and reaching out to those who need their help. Dhaka is now looking at deeper integration with its neighbours while not undermining others,” Rahman said.

De added: “Bangladesh is the new Royal Bengal Tiger of Asia. They speak in one language across all spectrum and have well-structured governance.”

He also said Bangladesh is now doing trade with major ASEAN countries while it is also looking at having trade pacts with some of the ASEAN countries and joining connectivity projects.

 

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