Monday
14 July, 2025
News Flash
News Flash
DHAKA, July 13, 2025 (BSS) – France has expressed strong confidence in Bangladesh’s ongoing democratic transition and pledged continued support for the country’s reform efforts and development initiatives.
French Ambassador to Bangladesh Marie Masdupuy made the remarks while addressing a reception hosted by the French Embassy in Dhaka on Sunday evening to mark France’s National Day on the embassy premises in Dhaka.
Senior government officials, foreign diplomats, dignitaries, members of civil society and the business community attended the celebration, which commemorates the historic storming of the Bastille in 1789 – a pivotal event of the French Revolution.
Referring to Bangladesh’s political transformation, the ambassador said, “Here in Bangladesh, you took over Gonobhaban, as a symbol of a hated regime. It has been now almost a year and you will celebrate it soon, on 5th August. The values you have been fighting for are familiar to us.”
In her speech, she drew parallels between France’s own struggle for democracy and Bangladesh’s current political journey, emphasizing shared values such as liberty, equality, fraternity and inclusivity.
“Democracy is also about liberty, equality, fraternity and inclusivity. Freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, press freedom are also cornerstones on that tortuous path, and they must go along with fair justice of course,” she said.
She lauded Bangladesh’s interim government for its leadership during the ongoing political transition, saying: “Under the wise and remarkable leadership of the Chief adviser, the country is now heading towards truly democratic elections. The road is paved with many obstacles but courage and determination will no doubt allow to remove them.”
Noting the challenges of governance and corruption, the ambassador said, “In the context of the ongoing transition, we understand the need to be patient. Some projects are under review as there was too much corruption and fighting against it should indeed be an absolute necessity.”
She reaffirmed France’s commitment to continuing development cooperation with Bangladesh, especially in the areas of climate adaptation, water and sanitation.
“We hope they can continue to be implemented for the greater benefit of the population,” she said, citing major French-supported projects such as the Gandharbpur and Saidabad water treatment plants and sewerage infrastructure in Chattogram.
France, she said, would remain a key partner in Bangladesh’s LDC graduation journey, supporting fair and rules-based trade.
“As a major European actor, France advocates for a fair, mutually-beneficial, rules-based trade,” the ambassador stated.
She also stressed the need for deeper cooperation in education and migration governance.
“Improving the education system will be of utmost importance to reduce the migratory pressure. Indeed, more and more unskilled illegal migrants end up in our country… We must join our efforts to design a strategy to curb this trend.”
The ambassador also announced that France and Bangladesh would soon initiate cooperation in space technology to support Bangladesh’s climate data capacity.
“We will be working towards strengthening our bilateral spatial cooperation. The main goal will be to enhance Bangladesh’s sovereign capacity in understanding climate change through satellite data.”
Highlighting Bangladesh’s geostrategic role, she said, “It is important, given your weight and your position, that you strongly diversify your partnerships and keep your independent decision-making capacity… Bangladesh can become a critical actor in the Indo-Pacific as it increasingly asserts itself.”
The event also celebrated vibrant cultural ties between the two countries, including artistic and academic exchanges.
The ambassador noted that France-Bangladesh Week held in Paris in April was a “tremendous success” and praised growing collaborations in science, culture, and higher education.
