Bangladesh and the Netherlands today reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation in water resources management, with a focus on knowledge sharing, technology transfer, research, and capacity building. The commitment was made during a meeting between Water Resources Minister Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anne and Netherlands Ambassador to Bangladesh Joris Van Bommel at the Bangladesh Secretariat. State Minister for Water Resources Forhad Hossain Azad was also present.
Longstanding Partnership
During the meeting, Minister Anne described the Netherlands as one of Bangladesh's trusted development partners, highlighting the longstanding and cordial relations between the two countries. He called for enhanced cooperation in exchanging experiences in water resources management, technical collaboration, professional training, research, and the development of skilled human resources.
Key Projects and Initiatives
Referring to the government's development agenda, Minister Anne said the Padma Barrage Project has already been approved, aligning with the government's election pledge to fulfill the long-standing aspirations of people in the country's south-western and north-western regions. He also expressed optimism that the Teesta Master Plan would be approved soon after the completion of the necessary studies and feasibility assessments.
Historical Cooperation
State Minister Forhad Hossain Azad recalled that a memorandum of understanding was signed between Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman and the Netherlands in 1977 to promote technical cooperation in water resources management. He sought the continuation of the Netherlands' support for Bangladesh's socio-economic development.
Shared Geographical Characteristics
The Dutch ambassador noted that Bangladesh and the Netherlands share many similarities as deltaic countries with comparable geographical characteristics. He reaffirmed his government's interest in supporting Bangladesh in sustainable water resources management, riverbank protection, and erosion control, while expressing hope that the Netherlands would continue its partnership in Bangladesh's socio-economic development.
