Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on Sunday sought
Danish support to labour reforms and mangrove research, saying the two are some
of the top priorities of Bangladesh's Interim Government.
The Chief Adviser said labour reforms are needed to attract
investment from foreign investors, while mangroves in Bangladesh's southern
region have proved to be essential to combat climate change. He made the
comments when Danish Ambassador in Dhaka Christian Brix Moller paid a courtesy
call on him at the latter's Tejgaon office in Dhaka. Labour reforms, including
implementing the ILO conventions, are
Key areas of reforms of his government, Prof Yunus said, adding that it was
essential both for the workers and the manufacturers. He suggested joint
Danish-Bangladesh research on mangroves. "People should invest in
mangroves. It protects the country from storms," he said. The Chief
Adviser also sought Danish support for the treatment of some of the critically
injured people who were hit by bullets during the July-August student-led
revolution. The Danish envoy congratulated the Chief Adviser on taking the
leadership of the Interim Government. He also handed over the original
congratulatory letter from the Danish Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen, to the
Chief Adviser. Moller offered Danish support for the survivors of the
revolution and several key areas of the Interim Government's reform agenda.
The ambassador mentioned Denmark's continued interest in
high quality projects such as 400 million dollars investment by Danish shipping
and ports giants Maersk/APM Terminals, 1.3 billion dollars investment in
offshore wind energy project and 300 million dollars financing for the Saidabad
Water Treatment Plant in Dhaka. He also backed the interim government's labour
reform moves, saying there is potential for closer dialogue between Denmark and
Bangladesh on this vital issue. Lamiya Morshed, Senior Secretary and Principal
Coordinator on the SDG affairs; Shahriar Kader Siddiky, Secretary, Economic
Relations Division; Kazi Russel Pervez, Director General of the foreign
ministry; and Anders Karlsen, deputy ambassador of Denmark; were also present
in the meeting.
