Hon. Sheikh Hasina
Prime Minister of Bangladesh

I welcome you with pleasure and pride to enchantingly scenic Bangladesh with her lush green rain forests and serene farmlands, languorous white sandy beaches, meandering silvery rivers and a harmonious multi-ethnic, culturally rich, freedom loving people. The recent return of democracy now makes Bangladesh even more attractive than before.

While for tourists awaits the enchanting beauty of rural life and ancient archaeological findings, investors would find investment friendly policies, cost effective manpower and a lucrative market of 150 million people worth capitalising for mutual gains. Already established zones with special privileges for foreign investments have drawn success.

Commitment to democracy, pluralism and peace, Bangladesh has always fulfilled her responsibility as a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. By abhorring all forms of extremism, Bangladesh has won the confidence of the international community as a peace loving nation, working for peace as reflected also in UN peace keeping missions.

Bangladesh is acclaimed as a role model among developing countries for her achievements in social spheres as micro-credit and empowerment of women, public health and primary education, among others. With so much in waiting for discovery, I am simply inspired to invite you to the Bangladesh portal of the Commonwealth website.

Bangladesh in the Commonwealth

did you know?

• Bangladesh became a member of the Commonwealth in 1972
• Bangladesh became in independent country in 1971
• Bangladesh has been involved in the Commonwealth Games since 1978, and has won 4 medals during that time
• Muhammad Yunus, Founder of the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh, delivered the 6th Annual Commonwealth Lecture, on ‘Halving Poverty by 2015’, in 2003; he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006, jointly with the Bank
• Anwarul Karim Chowdhury was appointed UN High Representative for Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States in 2002
• Mubasshar Hussain, President of the Bangladesh Institute of Architects, is Senior Vice-President of the Commonwealth Association of Architects
• Hassan Shahriar is President of the Commonwealth Journalists Association
• Bangladeshi-born Adib Khan won the Commonwealth Writers’ Best First Book award, in 1995, with Seasonal Adjustments
• Tahmima Anam took the same award in 2008 with A Golden Age
• Tanvir Manzoor Hussain of Sunbeams Senior School was winner of the 2002 Commonwealth Essay Competition with ‘There is no place like home’
• Bangladesh hosts a national chapter of the Commonwealth Human Ecology Council
• The country lays claim to having the longest natural sandy sea beach in the world – an unbroken 125 kilometres – at Cox’s Bazar
• After Singapore and Malta, it is the most densely populated country in the Commonwealth

Commonwealth meetings hosted

• 2003 Commonwealth Journalists Association Silver Jubilee Conference in Dhaka

Commonwealth Projects

Assessment Visit to Bangladesh (2007-08)
The Commonwealth Secretariat commissioned this assessment to identify possible areas for Commonwealth involvement and engagement in support of the elections which took place in 2008. The objective was to support sound electoral procedures and strengthen democratic processes in Bangladesh. The mission held meetings with stakeholders, such as the election commission, civil society, and political parties.

ICT as a Source of Competitiveness (2007/08)
This Commonwealth project assisted the development of a practical ICT Rural Development Policy for implementation by the Government of Bangladesh. It identified solutions for the use of ICT as an enabler, facilitator and source of economic activity by small businesses in rural Bangladesh through the establishment of Rural ICT Centres.

Strengthening Capacities in Programmes Design and Implementation (2003/04)
This was a Commonwealth project where, through technical assistance, the capacity of the Directorate of Women’s Affairs (DWA) staff to design and implement effective programmes was strengthened. An assessment of projects being implemented by the DWA was undertaken in selected villages and small towns in Bangladesh and from this study core strengths and best practice models were identified.

Training Advisor/Instructor Nautical, Seaman’s Training Centre, Ministry of Shipping (1997/8 – 2001/2)
This was an initiative funded by the Commonwealth where an expert was introduced who assisted with the introduction of improved teaching methods, and trained instructors in up to date nautical methods.

Arsenic Pollution of Groundwater in Bangladesh and West Bengal (1997-2000)
This Commonwealth Secretariat commissioned project entailed the formulation of an approach and a proposal for long-term solutions to the problems of arsenic pollution of groundwater. The approach was later considered for inclusion in the World Bank Assistance to Bangladesh.