Chief adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on Tuesday agreed to increase connectivity with Azerbaijan to boost trade and commerce and increase the exchange of scholarship programmes for students.
The chief adviser laid emphasis on opening an embassy of Azerbaijan in Dhaka and launching a direct flight between Dhaka and Baku when deputy foreign minister of Azerbaijan Elnur Mammadov met him at the state guest house Jamuna.
鈥楩or Bangladeshi students, Azerbaijan is a remote country,鈥� Yunus told the visiting deputy minister, adding that a direct flight would allow Bangladeshi students to pursue studies in the field of energy, while Azerbaijani students would also feel encouraged to learn from Bangladesh鈥檚 textile sector.
Mammadov handed over an invitation from the president of Azerbaijan to the chief adviser for participation in the 17th Summit of the Economic Cooperation Organisation to be held in Azerbaijan in July 2025, said chief adviser鈥檚 deputy press secretary Abul Kalam Azad Majumder.
Professor Yunus said that opening an embassy in Dhaka would also end the visa hassle. 鈥業ncreasing your presence in Bangladesh is important for us to have a closer relationship.鈥�
The meeting focused on strengthening bilateral ties between Bangladesh and Azerbaijan, particularly in areas of trade, investment, energy, education, technology, infrastructure and cultural exchanges.
During the discussion, the chief adviser recalled his meeting with Ilham Aliyev, president of Azerbaijan, on the sidelines of the COP29 held in Baku last November.
The chief adviser urged Azerbaijan investors to invest in Bangladesh and take advantage of Bangladesh鈥檚 huge human resources.
鈥榃e invite your investors to explore the potential of Bangladesh. We have nearly 180 million people, and half the population are young. So, there will be no shortage of workers if you set up any industry here.鈥�
The Azerbaijani deputy minister said that his country wanted to develop strategic relations with Bangladesh ahead of the 35th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Mammadov also gave the chief adviser an overview of the ASAN and DOST Models of Azerbaijan to curb corruption and increase efficiency, transparency and effectiveness in public service delivery.
The chief adviser appreciated the service concepts and expressed hope to explore the possibility of replicating the platforms in Bangladesh.
