Dakar, April 23 — Bangladesh has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening relations with African nations, including Senegal, during a bilateral meeting held on the sidelines of the Dakar International Forum on Peace and Security in Africa.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam met Senegal’s Minister of African Integration and Foreign Affairs Cheikh Niang in Dakar, highlighting opportunities for expanded cooperation.
Niang welcomed Bangladesh’s participation in the forum and praised the delegation’s presence despite the long. The State Minister recalled the historic 1981 visit of Ziaur Rahman to Senegal, describing it as a milestone in bilateral relations.
Both sides agreed to hold Foreign Office Consultations soon and discussed enhancing cooperation in trade, agriculture, and key industries such as garments, pharmaceuticals, and ICT. Bangladesh also proposed forming a Joint Trade Commission and increasing business exchanges.
Senegal appreciated Bangladesh’s contributions to peacekeeping in Africa and expressed interest in closer collaboration in multilateral platforms.The two countries also discussed opening resident diplomatic missions in each other’s capitals.
The State Minister invited her Senegalese counterpart to visit Bangladesh, an invitation he accepted. Bangladesh’s Ambassador to Morocco and Ambassador-designate to Senegal, Sadia Faizunnesa, was also present at the meeting.
By MD Abdur Rahman- Dhaka
