DHAKA, March 16, 2021 (BSS) – British experts and academics have highly praised Bangabandhu’s maritime vision while paying tribute to Bangladesh’s Founding Father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman marking his Birth Centenary.
They were speaking at the ‘Bangabandhu Birth Centenary Public lecture’ titled “Sustainable Governance of the Bay of Bengal: Towards Bangabandhu’s Golden Bengal Vision” jointly organised by Bangladesh High Commission in London and Portsmouth university, according to a press release received here today.
International Seabed Authority (ISA) President Rear Admiral Md Khurshed Alam delivered the keynote speech while Bangladesh High Commissioner to the UK and Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Saida Muna Tasneem made the opening remarks.
“Maritime vision was an integral part of Bangabandhu’s vision for Golden Bengal. He envisioned sustainable exploration and exploitation of marine resources as a driving force for poverty alleviation, ensuring food security, protecting environmental balance and mitigating adverse impacts of climate change,” Alam said.
He called upon British entrepreneurs to invest in job-creating sectors like marine fisheries, marine aquaculture and coastal tourism and proposed that Bangladesh and the UK should work together on finding the areas of mutual cooperation engaging private sectors.
High Commissioner Saida Muna Tasneem said, Bangabandhu enacted the -Territorial Waters and Maritime Zones Act 74- to protect Bangladesh’s rights over marine resources and his Golden Bengal Vision for the Bay of Bengal was sustainable use of ocean resources.
She said, following Bangabandhu’s vision, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been relentlessly promoting a Blue Economy model for sustainable uses and management of vast oceans, seas and marine resources.
Ensuring support for harness wind power in the Bay of Bengal, British deputy high commissioner to Bangladesh Javed Patel, said the UK government is working to develop a new Bangladesh climate and environment programme, including three major initiatives for better protection of the Sundarbans mangroves, improving solid waste management systems and reduce effluent pollution to watercourses.
Portsmouth University’s Pro-Vice-Chancellor Chris Chang also spoke at the virtual event while a large number of British academics and entrepreneurs and members of British-Bangladeshi diaspora also joined.