German President lauds Bangladesh’s socioeconomic progress

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Thursday praised the remarkable socioeconomic progress achieved by Bangladesh, especially the growth rate and continuous upward trajectory of its economy under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

The President recalled Bangladesh’s economic progress while new Bangladesh Ambassador to Germany Md Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan presented his credentials at a ceremony at the Bellevue Palace (official residence of the German President), a release of Bangladesh embassy in Germany said.

During an exclusive meeting held between the President and the ambassador following the presentation of the credentials, the President congratulated the envoy for taking over this important assignment and mentioned the recent report of IMF projecting per capita GDP growth of Bangladesh at a rate higher than India.

Thanking the President for receiving him, the Bangladesh envoy conveyed to the President the greetings and regards of the President and the Prime Minister of Bangladesh and sought the support of the German government for his successful tenure there.

He mentioned that Germany was one of the first European countries that recognized Bangladesh after its independence in 1971 and has been a very important development partner since then.

Underlining that Germany is the largest export destination for Bangladesh in Europe and the second largest globally, Mosharraf Hossain highlighted the different prospective sectors of Bangladesh including ICT, pharmaceuticals, leather and jute products, ship building, tourism, recycling and renewable energy.

After informing the present situation of the Rohingya crisis in brief, Mosharraf Hossain conveyed appreciation of Bangladesh’s government for the sincere supports of the German government – both politically and financially – towards peaceful settlement of the Rohingya crisis.

In this regard, the ambassador also urged the President for future all-out supports of Germany, both bilaterally as well as in various multilateral fora.

He extended an invitation to the President to visit Bangladesh at a convenient time.

In response to the issues raised by the ambassador, the German President wished him a happy stay in Germany assuring his full support and cooperation during his tenure.

He hoped that the existing bilateral relations would be further strengthened during his tenure.

The President applauded the achievements of Bangladesh and expressed his happiness over the existing business and investment relations.

He also praised Bangladesh for tackling Covid-19 pandemic at a reasonable level.

The German president conveyed his regards for the President and the Prime Minister of Bangladesh wishing them good health and peace and prosperity of the country.