Nigeria, Bangladesh need trade boost – Envoy

The People’s Republic of Bangladesh is a country in South Asia which shares land borders with India and Myanmar (Burma). Nepal, Bhutan and China are located near Bangladesh but do not share border with it. Bangladesh is the world’s eighth most populous country, with a population of 160 million. Dhaka is its capital and largest […]

The People’s Republic of Bangladesh is a country in South Asia which shares land borders with India and Myanmar (Burma). Nepal, Bhutan and China are located near Bangladesh but do not share border with it. Bangladesh is the world’s eighth most populous country, with a population of 160 million. Dhaka is its capital and largest city, followed by Chittagong. Islam is the official religion of Bangladesh. It joined the Commonwealth of Nations in 1972 and the United Nations in 1974, and has been elected twice to the UN Security Council. The country’s High Commissioner to Nigeria, Md. Shameen Ahsan, in this interview speaks on ties with Nigeria, the trade volume between the two countries and efforts in providing refuge for over one million Myanmar’s Rohingya Muslims in the wake of the crisis in that country. Excerpts:

Daily Trust: You are Bangladesh’s second High Commissioner to Nigeria since the establishment of official ties between the two countries, how do you view Nigeria’s relations with your country?  

Md. Shameen Ahsan: Yes, the Bangladeshi High Commission was opened in Nigeria two years ago, and Bangladesh and Nigeria enjoy very cordial relations. We have several similarities, Nigeria plays a leading role in Africa, especially on decolonization. Bangladesh on the other hand is one of the world’s largest democracies, we have a population of 160 million. We are a role model in fighting climate change and championing the cause of women empowerment.  Our contribution to the world is disproportionate to our size and we are sufficient in food production. We are very rich in ceramics and leather production. Bangladesh is a voice of moderation in the Muslim world. It remains the largest troop-contributing country to United Nations peacekeeping operations. This shows our commitment to peace and security not only in our immediate environment but also to global peace because peace-keeping missions are playing a major role in building peace world-over.

DT: How did your country attain food sufficiency despite your small land mass?

Ahsan:  Many reasons, but I will give a broad overview. Bangladesh is one of the most climatically vulnerable countries in the world, we are prone to cyclones for instance, but we built hundreds of cyclone shelters with long pillars, so when there is cyclone warning, people are mobilized and rehabilitated, by so doing, we have reduced casualties significantly during disasters.   So, keeping that in mind, we try hard to prevent natural disasters while we work on food production. We have home-grown rice varieties that can stand water levels

Ahsan: Secondly, our scientists have widely respected research institutes which invented some varieties of seeds that can stand salinity.

DT: After China, Bangladesh comes second in terms of exporting garments. Do you grow cotton or you have the whole value chain in the country?

Ahsan: It goes like this: There are raw materials, talk about cotton, mostly it was imported but there has been a silent revolution because of cheap labour and all associated facilities, like power. There is a lot of initiatives by the government to attract foreign investments. Secondly, the cost of production is very low as a result of cheap labour but with international standard. Because of that, investors make profit. There are about four million workers in the industry, 95% of them are women. The industry contributes significantly to women empowerment. When women are empowered, it has multiplying effects. Their children go to school and when they go to school, their prospect becomes richer.

DT: There is a growing interest in Bangladesh among Nigerian businessmen. What about the other way round?

Ahsan: The High Commission receives an average of 50 business visa applications from Nigerians every month. Our trade volume is very insignificant. There is a huge potential but it largely remains untapped. It is something unacceptable. Given the opportunities that we have, it should be more than that. Between 2016 and 2017, our exports to Nigeria were worth $3.5million while imports from Nigeria reached $4.4million. Items imported to Nigeria included ready-made garments, pharmaceutical products and ceramics while Nigeria exported mainly agricultural products especially cashew nut. To foster mutually beneficial relationship, I have started working on launching a Bangladesh-Nigeria Chamber of Commerce and Industry. It is very important. We need such platform. I’m a bureaucrat, I cannot do business but I can facilitate. That’s my job. I should make sure that hurdles are reduced at both ends. The platform will make them interact and understand each other better.

DT: How many Nigerian students are in Bangladesh?

Ahsan: There are hundreds of foreign students in Bangladesh with a good number of Nigerians. The cost of living in terms of dollars is very reasonable.

DT: Bangladesh plays host to over one million Rohingya refugees from Myanmar,  does this affect your economy?

Ahsan: Yes, we are hosting over 1m Rohingya refugees and our Prime Minister is very committed to it.  Bangladesh has been very generous and is behaving as part of the civilized world, we are an elected government and cannot be repressive or dictatorial. There has been limited foreign assistance but it has not stopped in extending our hands of fellowship and hospitality to the Rohingya people.  I have got some publications which have some facts and figures including the history of the Rohingya. The Rohingyas have got the rights and everything but the government has been designing so many things to deprive them of their rights. Bangladesh has been very generous to the Rohingya refugees. We have been hosting them even with meager resources and foreign assistance which is not significant. Many countries have made commitments but few have worked in line with their commitments. But that did not disturb us in extending our generosity to them. How is this affecting us? Ours is a country smaller than Nigeria. So we have a space problem. The influx of the refugees has security implication and affects local employment. It also affects the environment because of make-shift accommodation. They cut down millions of trees and we cannot stop them because they are our neighbours and for the sake of humanity. Once we allow them to be in, we should treat them as humanly possible. Because of the hospitality of the Bangladeshi people, they have been large acceptance of the refugees. Despite the implications on the country, jobs are taking out and millions of trees are cut down, we have been generous. Our government cares for them.

DT: What is your relationship with Pakistan and other neighboring countries given your history?

Ahsan: Bangladesh emerged as an independent country in 1971. We had been part of Pakistan. We are known to be in East Pakistan. In the struggle for liberation, we lost millions of people, including women and children. However, we have excellent relations with every country including Pakistan. We believe in good neighbourliness. Despite the fact that claims on properties after independence were rejected, we still have good relations with Pakistan and our trade, I will say, is not insignificant, while other areas of cooperation is going smoothly. Bangladesh has been the proponent of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), a regional intergovernmental organization and geopolitical union of nations in South Asia. That brought eight countries – Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, the Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka – together.