Photo : Collected
Noting the recent students-led mass uprising as an astonishing development, Ambassador of Switzerland to Bangladesh Reto Siegfried Renggli on Thursday termed this transition as an opportunity for widespread reforms in Bangladesh and assured Swiss government’s support to the reform process.
The Ambassador paid his maiden courtesy call on Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain and handed over the original congratulatory message from the Swiss Federal Councilor during the meeting held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Adviser highlighted the Interim government’s remarkable decision to form a number of commissions to that purpose.
He also sought cooperation from the relevant Swiss authorities in identifying and returning illegal assets deposited in the Swiss banks by some Bangladeshi nationals.
The Swiss Ambassador assured all cooperation in this regard as per international standards and procedures.
Both sides expressed happiness over Bangladesh’s accession to the UN Convention on Enforced Disappearance and agreed to work together to uphold human rights agenda further.
On trade and investment, the Ambassador described Bangladesh as a tremendously potential market and urged the need for more private sector engagements and level playing field to attract new Swiss investments.
Referring to the immense capability of the Bangladeshi youth especially in ICT, the Adviser requested Swiss support in leveraging their full potential for productivity and economic growth through generating entrepreneurship and employment.
The Ambassador shared eagerness of the Swiss side in this regard.
Both the Adviser and the Swiss Ambassador discussed about the Rohingya crisis and agreed that the repatriation of the Rohingyas to their homeland, Myanmar with safety, security and rights is the only solution to the crisis.
The Swiss Ambassador assured more humanitarian support to the Rohingyas as well as to the host communities in Cox’s Bazar.
Messenger/Fameema
