DHAKA, July 21, 2026 (BSS) - The government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands 
has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the sustainable development of 
Bangladesh's fisheries sector.

Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Bangladesh Joris van Bommel 
made this announcement today at the inauguration of the Aquaculture Center of 
Excellence (CoE) in Tarakanda of Mymensingh today under the 
'FoodTechBangladesh' programme.

Director General (DG) of the Department of Fisheries Dr. Md. Khaled Kanak 
attended the inauguration ceremony of the event as the chief guest. 

The DG of the Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute (BFRI) Dr. Md. Latiful 
Islam, Director of the Department of Fisheries, Mymensingh Division Nripendra 
Nath Biswas and Managing Director of Fishtech (BD) Limited Md. Ataul Karim 
Bhuiyan joined the event among others.

Fishtech (BD) Limited Chairman Khondokar Farhad Hossain chaired the event 
with around 200 participants from various sectors joining the programme.

Speaking at the event, Ambassador Joris van Bommel said, "FoodTechBangladesh" 
is an excellent example of applying the Dutch Diamond approach in 
Bangladesh."

"The establishment of this Center of Excellence will enable farmers to learn 
about and adopt modern aquaculture technologies on a wider scale, while 
strengthening investor confidence and supporting the long-term growth of the 
sector," he said.

The Netherlands has proudly supported this initiative over the past several 
years, he added.

Dr. Md. Khaled Kanak said high productivity could be achieved even with 
limited land resources. 

He noted that the Netherlands had set a remarkable example in this regard and 
called on all stakeholders to work together by combining government support 
with appropriate technologies to further advance Bangladesh's fisheries 
sector.

Since its inception, "FoodTechBangladesh" has conducted more than 60 
commercial trials and trained over 800 farmers online and nearly 600 farmers 
through in-person programmes, helping improve technical knowledge and promote 
sustainable aquaculture practices.

Launched in 2022, "FoodTechBangladesh" is a five-year public-private 
partnership programme co-funded by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the 
Netherlands in Bangladesh and implemented by Larive International and 
LightCastle Partners.