The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

President Prof Dr Iajuddin Ahmed Tuesday said Brunei government could contribute more to their growing economy by recruiting more skilled manpower, including doctors, engineers, IT experts, nurses, pharmacists and teachers, from Bangladesh.

Brunei can also import Bangladeshi world-class products like pharmaceuticals, readymade garments, jute products and melamine at a very competitive price.

The President made the remarks when newly appointed High Commissioner of Brunei Darussalam to Bangladesh Haji Abdul Razak Bin Haji Mohammad Hussaini presented his credentials to him at Bangabhaban.

President Iajuddin welcomed the new envoy and expressed his satisfaction at the existing brotherly relations between the two countries, saying that its investors could invest in the country's promising sectors as "a very congenial investment atmosphere is prevailing here".

The potential sectors he named include power, energy, textiles, leather, fisheries, jute manufacturing, real estate, hotel and resort, IT and agro-based industries.

The President said Bangladesh and Brunei could work together to address the climate-change issue as both the countries are threatened to be affected by the adverse impacts of global warming.

He conveyed his greetings to the Sultan of Brunei Darussalam through the new envoy and also invited him to visit Bangladesh.

Envoy Hussaini assured his support for further strengthening the bilateral trade and commerce relations between Bangladesh and Brunei Darussalam as well as for increase in its manpower import from Bangladesh.

Referring to about 13,000 Bangladeshis working in different sectors in Brunei, the envoy informed President Iajuddin that the Bangladeshi nationals are "very sincere in their work" and they have been contributing a lot to his country's development.

Dr CS Karim said the government has set up a national institute of bio-technology considering the importance of the technology in the agriculture sector.

"Although bio-technology has considered as a powerful tool to increase agriculture production, we should be very careful about using it," said Dr Karim calling upon researchers, policymakers, scientists and stakeholders to deal with the matter more efficiently.

The Adviser said the developing countries including Bangladesh are not at all responsible to the emissions of greenhouse gasses which put the Bangladesh's agriculture at risk.

He suggested for taking a number of programmes so that the farmers cannot affect by the adverse impacts of the uses of bio- technology.

Vice-Chancellor of BRAC University Professor Dr Jamilur Reza Choudhury said biotechnology has become one of the most fascinating disciplines, which opened up new vistas in boosting agriculture output, alleviation of poverty and environmental protection in developing countries including Bangladesh.

The BRAC VC expressed concern over the indiscriminate use of other bio-technologies such as fermentation, use of molecular markers, and vegetative production of crops and embryo freezing in agriculture" "The ICT has brought revolutionary changes in the society by thriving it an IT-based, said President of Bangladesh Academy of Scientists (BAS) Prof Dr M Shamser Ali Executive director of Academy of Sciences for the Developing World (ASDW) Prof Dr Mohamed HA Hassan and BAS Secretary Prof Naiyyum Chowdhury also spoke.