C T Online Desk: Bangladesh and Brazil have signed an agreement on visa exemption marking 50 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam, who is on a four-day maiden official visit to Brazil, signed the agreement on the exemption of visas for diplomatic and official passport holders on the 50 years of Bangladesh-Brazil diplomatic relations.
Foreign Minister of Brazil Carlos Alberto Franco Franca signed the agreement on behalf of the Brazilian government, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday.
A high-profile business delegation led by the President of FBCCI Jashim Uddin and the representatives of the Bangladesh-Brazil Chamber of Commerce (BBCC) accompanied the State Minister during the visit.
On Monday, the state minister delivered a lecture for the trainee diplomats at the Rio Branco Institute (Foreign Services Academy of Brazil) in Brasilia.
More than 100 guests comprising high officials from the host government, Ambassadors, members of the diplomatic corps, civil society, trainee diplomats, journalists along with members of FUNAG (Research Institute for International Relations) attended the event.
Instituto Rio Branco is a “state of the art” training center for diplomats from Brazilian and other parts of the world.
Giving an overview of the struggle for independence, the state minister highlighted how the charismatic leader Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman led the nation to have the right to speak in its mother tongue and later the war for independence in 1971.
Stressing the geo-strategic importance of Bangladesh, he explained how Bangladesh is connecting South Asia and Southeast Asia for a greater economic feat.
He also highlighted the unprecedented socio-economic growth in Bangladesh under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
State Minister Alam explained to the trainee diplomats of Rio Branco – how continuity of the government, investment in the rural economy and women empowerment led the country to sustainable and steady socio-economic strides.
In the question-and-answer session, it revealed that the state minister’s lecture created huge interest among the trainee diplomats from Brazil and Bangladesh and its impressive trajectory of socio-economic progress.
After the interactive session, the state minister witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Bangladesh Foreign Service Academy and Instituto Rio Branco (Foreign Service Academy of Brazil), Bangladesh Ambassador Sadia Faizunnesa and Ambassador Glivania Maria Oliveira, Director of Rio Branco signed the MOU from their own sides.
