The Embassy of Bangladesh in Berlin, in collaboration with the Oriental Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences, hosted a seminar titled “Building bridges through science, language and diaspora engagement” at the Department of Physics auditorium in Prague.
Muhammad Zulqar Nain, the ambassador of Bangladesh to Germany with concurrent accreditation to the Czech Republic, emphasised the importance of exploring fresh cooperation in culture, science, technology, start-ups, and innovation, reads a press release.
He highlighted that these goals could be achieved through the strategic use of cultural, economic, and science diplomacy.
Ambassador Nain underscored that Bangladesh’s newly elected democratic government is prioritising enhanced engagement with European Union partners following the restoration of democracy through free and fair elections held on 26 February.
During the event, he paid a special tribute to the students, political activists, and citizens who made supreme sacrifices in July 2024.
Mgr Táňa Dluhošová, director of the Oriental Institute, lauded the initiative, noting that while historical ties exist-rooted in the visits of Rabindranath Tagore and Bangladeshi students during the Czechoslovakia era- many areas of cooperation remain unexplored. She described the Embassy’s initiative as a foundation for a new era of bilateral relations.
Representing the Czech government, David Muller, director general of the Ministry of Trade and Industry, said that bilateral economic ties could be significantly bolstered through science and people to people contacts.
Vladimira Hirsch, head of the South Asia Desk at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, expressed hope that relations would continue to consolidate through cultural and economic cooperation.
The program featured a cultural segment where Anna Marie Koubova, a Bengali language student at Charles University, recited a poem from Tagore’s Gitanjali. Syed Hasan Mamun, representing the Bangladeshi community in Prague, thanked the organizers and expressed hope for the continuity of such initiatives.
The event which concluded with a buffet of Bangladeshi delicacies, saw a diverse attendance of high-ranking government officials, academics, researchers, professionals, and members of the Bangladeshi diaspora.
