Dutch ambassador delivers lecture at National Defence College

Dutch Ambassador to Bangladesh Joris van Bommel delivered a lecture at the National Defence College (NDC) in Dhaka on Thursday (12 November), focusing on the Netherlands’ foreign policy, security, development strategy and relations with Bangladesh.

Titled “Contemporary Netherlands: Its Foreign Policy, Security, Development Strategy, and Netherlands–Bangladesh Relations”, the lecture was attended by 103 senior officials participating in the NDC Course 2026.

The participants included 31 international officials from 17 countries, all holding the rank of brigadier general, joint secretary or equivalent, according to a press release.

An interactive question-and-answer session followed the lecture, allowing participants to exchange views on Dutch foreign policy, security, development priorities and the Netherlands’ role in global affairs.

During his visit, Ambassador van Bommel also paid a courtesy call on NDC Commandant Lieutenant General Md Faizul Rahman.

They discussed shared priorities and opportunities for future cooperation.

The Netherlands values its engagement with the National Defence College and seeks to strengthen mutual understanding and cooperation with Bangladesh, the press release said.