interview www.bahrainthismonth.com 20 February 2023 Bahrain and Bangladesh A Long-Lasting Friendship Your Excellency, could you give our readers an insight into your diplomatic career? I belong to the 1995 batch of Bangladesh Foreign Service and joined the mission on March 12, 2020 as the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh to the Kingdom of Bahrain. Before this appointment, I was the Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of Bangladesh in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. I also served concurrently as Deputy Permanent Representative to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation from 2015 to 2019. In addition, I served as CDA at our Mission in Beirut, Lebanon, at Bangladesh High Commission in Canberra, Bangladesh Embassy in Baghdad and Seoul in different capacities. Moreover, I had domestic assignments at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. As for my qualifications, I am a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Water Policy and Governance from the University of New England, Australia, Masters and Honours Degree in Economics from the University of Dhaka. What are some interesting facts and figures you can share with us about the relationship between Bangladesh and Bahrain? Bangladesh and Bahrain have a long history of maintaining excellent ties, beginning with the establishment of diplomatic relationships in 1974, right after the independence of both nations in 1971. December 16, 1971 is our Victory Day of Bangladesh and also the National Day of the Kingdom of Bahrain. A resident diplomatic mission was set up by Bangladesh in Bahrain in 1983 which resulted in the expansion of bilateral ties. In addition, the current Prime Minister of Bangladesh HE Sheikh Hasina visited Bahrain in 1999 to attend the funeral of the late Emir of Bahrain HRH Shaikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa. Moreover, we have common values, perceptions, and customs and traditions. There is another common element between both nations; we are peace-loving nations with inclusiveness, diversity, and co-existence of different faiths. The Kingdom of Bahrain has a very significant expatriate population; of this demographic, 150,000 residents are Bangladeshi. We sat down with the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, HE Dr. Md. Nazrul Islam, to discuss the long-standing relationship between the two nations and potential to boost trade relations.
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