Chief Adviser’s Special Envoy for International Affairs Lutfey Siddiqi recently held a series of high-profile bilateral meetings with several senior Singaporean ministers, aiming to deepen cooperation and explore new avenues of collaboration between Bangladesh and Singapore.
During his visit, Siddiqi met Singapore’s Health Minister Ong Ye Kung, Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, and State Minister for Manpower Dinesh Vasu Dash at their respective offices, according to a press release from the Chief Adviser’s Office issued on Tuesday.
At the invitation of Grace Foo, Singapore’s Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations, Siddiqi attended a high-level dinner hosted during the Singapore Grand Prix on 5 October.
The event was also joined by key Singaporean figures, including Minister for Manpower, Science and Technology Dr. Tan See Leng, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Gan Siow Huang, and Senior Minister of State for Transport Murali Pillai.
Siddiqi also exchanged views on bilateral relations and global developments with Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, Senior Minister and former Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Indranee Rajah, and State Minister for National Development Alvin Tan.
During the engagements, Singaporean leaders expressed keen interest in enhancing cooperation with Bangladesh. Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan later wrote in a social media post, “With a young and hard-working population, Bangladesh has immense potential.
“It is undergoing a new phase of political and economic transformation and is implementing reforms, diversifying its economy, and seeking investments in renewable energy, digital innovation, and connectivity … Singapore looks forward to working closely with Bangladesh as it pursues its next phase of growth and development.”
Siddiqi also interacted with prominent figures from the private sector, including Ray Dalio, Grab CEO Anthony Tan, Antler Magnus CEO Grimeland, GIC CEO Lim Chow Kiat, Singapore Stock Exchange (SGX) CEO Loh Boon Chye, Asia Chairman of Evercore Keith Magnus and Indonesian Chamber of Commerce Chairman Anindya Bakrie.
In addition, he met with Enterprise Singapore’s Chairman Lee Chuan Teck, PSA (Ports) Regional CEO Vincent Ng, and PayPal’s Regional Lead Amir Valliani. Discussions centered on investment opportunities, trade facilitation, and technological collaboration.
He briefed both public and private stakeholders on Bangladesh’s current economic trajectory, investment climate, and recent reforms. He also expressed appreciation for Singapore’s consistent engagement and support in various sectors.
In an interview with Channel News Asia, Siddiqi cautioned against the threat of online misinformation ahead of Bangladesh’s upcoming elections, emphasizing the need for everyone to remain alert to that.
He also met officials at the Bangladesh High Commission and members of the migrant workers’ community to review service improvements.
Appointment slots for ePassport biometrics, which previously had a backlog of over 12,000 applications, are now available within 24 hours- a significant improvement from the 4-month delay reported just months ago.
Moreover, the requirement for physical endorsement of work visas (IPAs) at the High Commission has been lifted, easing administrative burdens for Bangladeshi workers and employers.
These reforms were achieved through coordination between Special Envoy Siddiqi, Home Adviser Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, and Expatriates’ Affairs Adviser Asif Nazrul.
The series of meetings underscored Bangladesh’s growing diplomatic and economic engagement with Singapore, reflecting a shared commitment to advancing cooperation across trade, technology, and human capital development.
