Commending the ongoing reform initiatives, Canada has renewed its steadfast support for the interim government of Bangladesh under the leadership of Prof Muhammad Yunus.

Ahmed Hussen, minister of international development of Canada, announced the support during a courtesy meeting with Bangladesh Foreign Adviser Md Touhid Hossain at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dhaka on Monday.

The discussions focused on strengthening the partnership and cooperation between the two friendly countries across various domains, including trade, investment, capacity building, skill development, technical assistance, agriculture, and people-to-people connections. 

Acknowledging the commendable contributions made by the Bangladeshi community in Canada, the minister expressed a strong desire to enhance collaborative ties between the two countries. 

Highlighting the existing bilateral strong relations, the foreign adviser expressed gratitude to the government of Canada for its continued support in economic and development initiatives. 

Both sides held thorough discussions on several significant areas of shared interest, including trade and investment prospects, labour reforms, advancements in the financial sector, collaboration in the health sector, and humanitarian support for the forcibly displaced Rohingya population.

Adviser Touhid emphasised the considerable challenges that Bangladesh faces in accommodating the Rohingya community and stressed the importance of facilitating sustainable repatriations of the forcibly displaced Rohingyas. 

The visiting minister commended Bangladesh's significant humanitarian contributions and expressed Canada’s commitment to advocating for the repatriation of Rohingyas in international forums. 

The foreign adviser thanked the government of Canada for its ongoing support regarding this matter of regional and global significance. 

He also requested the government of Canada to explore the possibility of collaboration at the upcoming international conference on the Rohingya issue, scheduled for the middle of this year.

Both ministers agreed to finalise the Foreign Investment and Protection Act in order to create a conducive environment and encourage Canadian investors to explore trade and investment opportunities in the near future. 

The meeting concluded with a strong commitment to enhancing bilateral relations and working together on shared priorities moving forward.

High Commissioner of Canada to Bangladesh Ajit Singh was also present at the meeting, among others.