This story first appeared in The Daily Star
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today asked Bangladeshi diplomats to reinforce economic diplomacy for expanding trade and business to achieve economic self-reliance for the country.
“…we need to see how we should expand trade and business, to achieve economic self-reliance by maintaining good relations with all, to achieve development, and bring peace through collaborating with one another. We’ll have to carry out diplomacy in such a way,” she said.
The prime minister was addressing a virtual discussion from her official residence Gono Bhaban arranged by the Foreign ministry at the Foreign Service Academy in the city commemorating the historic Bangla speech by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on this day in 1974.
“In today’s world, the responsibility of our diplomatic missions has also changed. Now it’s rather economic diplomacy not just political diplomacy,” the PM said.
At the function, Sheikh Hasina also digitally opened the newly constructed Foreign Service Academy Building in Bailey road area.
Hasina also unveiled the covers of two books titled “Bangabandhu, Sheikh Hasina and the United Nations: Bangladesh at the World Stage” and “Bangabandhu: The People’s Hero” published by the foreign ministry on the occasion of the Mujib Borsha (Mujib Year).
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen read out the keynote paper, while State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam, Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen and UN Resident Coordinator in Dhaka Mia Seppo spoke at the discussion meeting.
Rector of the Foreign Service Academy Ambassador Syed Masud Mahmood Khundoker made a presentation over the newly-constructed building of the academy.
Two audio-visual presentations were screened over Bangabandhus’s maiden speech in the UNGA as well as Bangabandhu’s first office in Sugandha depicting the early days of the government of Bangladesh as a nascent state.
Sugandha was the first Gono Bhaban after the country’s independence from where the Father of the Nation led his government and used to formulate and conduct foreign policy matters, among other important issues.