Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has congratulated former ambassador Sheikh Mohammed Belal on his re-election as the managing director of the Common Fund for Commodities (CFC).

The prime minister extended her congratulations when Sheikh Mohammed Belal met her at her official residence, Ganobhaban, on Monday, according to the PM’s Deputy Press Secretary KM Shakhawat Moon.

During the meeting, Sheikh Hasina emphasised the importance of economic diplomacy in current times. She urged the CFC managing director to assist Bangladesh in finding markets for its products, including jute and jute goods, to boost the country’s exports.

The CFC is an intergovernmental financial institution established within the framework of the United Nations, comprising 101 member states and nine institutional members.

Sheikh Mohammed Belal was re-elected with a two-thirds majority for a second four-year term as the managing director of the CFC, based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. His re-election reflects the widespread international recognition of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s efforts in poverty alleviation.

In his role as managing director, Belal serves as the chief executive officer with the rank and status of Under Secretary General in the CFC. He first assumed the position in December 2019 and completed his initial four-year term in December 2023.

Before his tenure at the CFC, Sheikh Mohammed Belal served as ambassador of Bangladesh to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, with concurrent accreditations to the Republic of Croatia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, from March 2014 to February 2020.