Govt okays mission in New Zealand, gazette officially honouring Kazi Nazrul as national poet soon
Decisions made during a meeting of the Advisory Council at the CA’s Office in Dhaka today
The Advisory Council of the interim government has approved a proposal to establish a high commission in Wellington, the capital of New Zealand.
The council has also green-lit another proposal to publish a gazette honouring rebel poet Kazi Nazrul Islam as the "national poet" of Bangladesh, according to a press statement issued by the Cabinet Division.
The decisions were made during a meeting, chaired by Chief Adviser (CA) Prof Muhammad Yunus, of the council at the CA's Office in Dhaka's Tejgaon today (5 December).
The Cabinet Division said New Zealand is one of the most prosperous countries in the Southwest Pacific region in terms of indicators of political stability and good governance. The country is ranked 16th in the Human Development Index and 32nd in the Global Competitiveness Index.
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Noting that New Zealanders have a high purchasing power, the division stated that "New Zealand can be a potential market for Bangladeshi products. About 10,000 Bangladeshis are living in New Zealand. About 1,000 Bangladeshi students are studying in various universities in New Zealand."
It also said, "Geographically, New Zealand is an island nation separated from the mainland. Therefore, it is not always possible to ensure proper service to expatriate Bangladeshis located in New Zealand from the concurrently responsible country Australia. At the same time, expatriate Bangladeshis faced various difficulties including huge expenditure of money to go to Australia to receive consular services."
The division also noted that if a Bangladesh High Commission is established in Wellington, it will be easy and cost-effective to directly reach all kinds of consular services of the embassy to the Bangladeshis living in New Zealand.
New Zealand currently has diplomatic missions in 72 countries, including Bangladesh's neighbouring countries India and Pakistan. "In this situation, if a mission of Bangladesh is established in New Zealand, it will pave the way for further growth of bilateral relations between the two countries, said the Cabinet Department."
"Considering the multi-dimensional interests of Bangladesh including political, strategic, commercial, economic, education, expatriate welfare, etc., it would be a timely decision to set up a full-fledged mission in Wellington, the capital of New Zealand.
However, all expenditure in this regard will be incurred in the next financial year," it added.
