Desk Report:
The newly appointed Ambassador of the Netherlands, Boris Van Bommel, paid a courtesy call on Principal Advisor Professor Muhammad Yunus at the State Guest House Jamuna on Thursday. The meeting discussed various issues of mutual interest, including bilateral relations, the upcoming general elections, trade and agriculture, and the ongoing Rohingya humanitarian crisis.
Principal Advisor Dr. Yunus informed the Ambassador that the interim government is preparing to hold general elections in the first half of February. He emphasized the steps taken to ensure transparency, fairness, and a peaceful environment for the elections.
Ambassador Van Bommel reaffirmed his country’s support for Bangladesh’s democratic transition. He said that a European Union pre-election observation mission is scheduled to arrive in Bangladesh this week and the Netherlands is actively supporting the mission.
The discussion also raised the issue of bilateral cooperation on water management. Professor Yunus recalled how Bangladesh has benefited from the Netherlands’ experience in flood control and low-lying coastal protection. “We have a lot in common,” he said. “We can build on and learn from each other’s experiences.”
Ambassador van Bommel expressed his interest in Bangladesh’s recent development achievements, especially in social business and microcredit innovations. Professor Yunus appealed for increased Dutch support for the more than one million Rohingya refugees living in Cox’s Bazar. He noted that the lack of funding was jeopardizing ongoing humanitarian efforts.
He also briefed the Ambassador on the high-level international conference on the Rohingya crisis to be held at the UN General Assembly in New York on September 30. The Chief Adviser expressed hope that the conference would galvanize international support and help mobilize urgent funds for humanitarian assistance to the camps.
Ambassador van Bommel acknowledged the urgency of the crisis and said that the Rohingya issue deserved greater international attention. However, he noted that global attention has been diverted by other ongoing geopolitical conflicts.
