Dhaka: The foreign ministry has been working with other ministries aiming to ink free-trade agreements with one or more countries by 2015.
State minister of Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam disclosed the matter in an exclusive interview with Banglanews.
He said that Bangladesh has fixed the target of foreign trade to the tune of 50 billion dollars in 2021. To achieve the target the ministry has been working with a new vigor.
About one and half months back, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina paid her visit to the foreign ministry and gave her consent to all the proposals the ministry presented.
Foreign ministry along with commerce ministry is working to activate and evaluate the activities of the commercial wings of the foreign missions abroad.
New officials are also being appointed in the missions, the state minister inform the media.
Appreciating the role of the commerce minister Tofail Ahmed, who is playing the lead role, Shahriar said that foreign ministry has been providing him all cooperation.
During the discussion, several matters came up including the diplomatic successes of the ministry and also the problems of office accommodation.
Shahriar Alam told the media that the accommodation problem will go soon as a new building will be constructed and design of the building is now underway.
He added that the ‘diplomatic activities have been enhanced to 96 countries from 36 missions abroad where the activities were run to 65 countries so far’.
The state minister, who is also an MP from Rajshahi-6, talked about many initiatives which will be taken up in the current year by the ministry. Embassies will be reopened in Denmark’s capital Copenhagen and Ethiopia capital Addis Ababa.
He narrated that Addis Ababa is being regarded as the ‘capital’ of Africa, which is also considered the capital of the ‘oldest independent state of Africa’. The decision was taken considering all factors.
The state minister also said that within 2015 Bangladesh will build own buildings in five capitals abroad.
On the other hand, the foreign tours of the ministers of other ministries, tours of parliament members (MPs) and officials have increased than before.
The prime minister has consented to provide one staff car in each mission abroad to facilitate those touring ministers and officials.
The premier has also consented to increase the number of officials to 400 where 272 are working now to bring dynamism in works.
Shahriar Alam, who is an MBA from IBA of University of Dhaka, said that following all formalities and rules the appointment process is going on.
He told Banglanews the capacity of the foreign service academy called ‘Sugandha’ will be increased. With this aim the work of renovation is going on keeping its historical artifice.
Bangladesh Institute of International Strategic Studies (BIISS), a wing of foreign ministry, is working on the global contemporary issues.
He also said that BIISS will get new permanent building in the land of Air Force as approved by the prime minister. If not, it will be built in other place.
According to a foreign ministry source, in the upcoming budget an allocation of Taka 920 crore has been earmarked though there was a demand of Taka 970 crore. In foreign ministry sector, the allocation will be six times more in the publicity and advertisement head.
In the current budget in this head, the allocation is Taka one crore while it will be six crores in the next budget.
It was learnt that a bigger chunk of total 920 crores and 34 lakhs will be spent for appointing local manpower for MRP issuing, sending consular teams to the embassies, the rent of mission buildings and sending supervisors in the missions as well.
BDST: 1858 HRS, APR 21, 2015
Edited by Shahjahan
RR
