Bangladesh and the Maldives have agreed to strengthen educational, religious, and cultural cooperation to elevate their bilateral and friendly relations to a new height.
During a courtesy meeting between Bangladesh High Commissioner to the Maldives Dr Md Nazmul Islam and Maldivian Minister of Islamic Affairs Dr Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed in Male on Tuesday, both sides discussed several initiatives to deepen collaboration.
According to a press release issued by the Bangladesh High Commission, the discussion focused on promoting the religious inclusion of Bangladeshi expatriates, exchanging Islamic knowledge, and expanding educational opportunities for Maldivian students in Bangladeshi universities.
The meeting also emphasised the early finalisation of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to make cooperation between the respective ministries of both countries more structured.
The MoU will facilitate the exchange of experts, Islamic researchers, and academicians, and both parties expressed optimism that the agreement would be concluded soon.
Maldivian Minister of Islamic Affairs Dr Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed said the Maldives considers Bangladesh a fraternal and reliable partner.
Highlighting potential areas of cooperation, he said, “We are keen to utilise the expertise of experienced Islamic scholars and specialists from Bangladesh. Bangladesh’s Zakat management is a commendable model that can be emulated in our country.”
He also praised Bangladesh’s contributions in human resources, education, and social welfare, stressing the importance of further strengthening the religious bond between the two nations.
High Commissioner Dr Md Nazmul Islam assured full cooperation from Bangladesh in these areas. “Bangladesh will stand by the Maldives in reinforcing its social and religious harmony. We want the people of the two countries to become closer through faith, humanity, and goodwill,” he said.
Emphasising the importance of social and religious inclusion of Bangladeshi expatriates working in the Maldives, the high commissioner proposed translating the Friday Khutbahs into Bengali to help expatriates better understand the religious messages, thereby fostering greater harmony and unity.
Both countries also placed special importance on expanding cooperation in the education sector. Dr Nazmul proposed increasing higher education opportunities for Maldivian students in Bangladeshi universities.
In response, Dr Shaheem said the Maldivian government is interested and will provide financial and institutional support for Maldivian students to study in Bangladesh.
