The Ambassador of the Popular Republic of Bangladesh to Romania, His Excellency Mr. Daud ALI, emphasized that Romania is one of the Bangladesh old friends, in an exclusive inteview for Ecopolitic News, in the context of marking 50 years of diplomatic relations between the two contries.

The diplomat said that only at the end of 2020, after reopening the Bangladeshi mission in Romania, only 540 people got work visa. In the next year, this number increased to 2.354. This year, until 18th November, the number is 8.064.

Another subject mentioned in the interview was the increasing number of Bangladeshi students in Romania.

Also, Mr. Daud ALI presented details about the possibility of Romanian businessmen to invest in Bangladesh: no taxes in the first 10 years and deduction taxes for the next three years. Below is the full interview.

Reporter: Hello, Your Excellency and thank you for accepting this interview for Ecopoliticnews.

H.E. Mr. Daud ALI: Thank you very much for coming and giving me the opportunity to speak about the relations of Bangladesh and Romania.

Reporter: Your Excellency, this is a special year for the relations between Romania and the Republic of Bangladesh, marking 50 years of diplomatic relations. Romania was among the first states in Europe to recognize the State of the Republic of Bangladesh, about 1971. What message does the Ambassador of people from Bangladesh sends to Romania after 50 years of diplomatic relations?

H.E. Mr. Daud ALI: Thank you very much! I would like to mention that in 1971 we had the Liberation War between present Bangladesh and present Pakistan. During that time especially we were very grateful for the people of Eastern European Countries and the USSR and of course India. From this part we received lot of support, politically and also financially, to receive our independence. After the independence, as you mentioned, Romania is one of the first countries, in fact after Bulgaria, to recognize Bangladesh as an independent nation. Since then we have very good relations. Not only that, Romania opened the diplomatic mission in Bangladesh and Bangladesh also had a diplomatic mission in Romania. That diplomatic mission continued until 1995. Since financial crisis, Bangladesh closed the diplomatic mission and opened in Middle East. Romania also closed the diplomatic mission. I am very happy that I am again, with the decision of our Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, reopening our diplomatic mission here in 2020. I should mention that the Prime Minister especially mentioned that the Eastern European Countries are our old friend and we should not forget our old friend. When we discussed about opening a new diplomatic mission, the Prime Minister Herself decided to reopen our diplomatic mission in Romania. And due to her decision we are here to open our diplomatic mission. And we should not forget our old friends, we should not forget their support, we are always grateful for that.

Reporter: You mentioned that Bangladesh reopened the Embassy in Romania in 2020, at the same time in 2022 the Romanian side organized a three-month temporary Consulate in Dacca to facilitate the process of granting work visa for citizens of the Republic of Bangladesh. How important is the presence of the Embassy, or the Consulate of Romania in Bangladesh, that at this moment doesn’t exist.

H.E. Mr. Daud ALI: Truly speaking, the presence of a diplomatic mission is very important. For the last 50 years, since 1972, we had no high level visit, except presidential level visit from both Bangladesh and Romania. There was no visit at the level of foreign ministers from Bangladesh side or the Romanian side, but after opening our diplomatic mission here in 2020, the Foreign Minister of Bangladesh visited Romania in 2021. So this is very important, there was a very important visit, because after 50 years, it was a fast at the level of the Foreign Minister visit from Bangladesh to Romania. Second is that, during that time, the two Ministers discussed many important issues, they also signed a MoU. Before this was called Foreign Office Consultation. That means the two countries Foreign Offices, the people will meet together, either in Bucharest or in Dacca each year to discuss the interests of the two countries. Not only that, during that visit we also signed a MoU with the Polytechnic University of Bucharest that will give us a grantee that every year the University from its own funds will provide foreign scholarship for Bangladeshi students. The number will increase gradually. I could mention here also that previously there was a very small number of Bangladeshi people who came here with work visa. But after our arrival this number is increasingly rapidly. As an example, only at the end of 2020, after opening our mission, only 540 people got work visa. In the next year, this number increased to 2.354. This year, until 18th November, the number is 8.064. So now you see how important is the presence of a diplomatic mission. If we are not here, maybe this number could be one or two hundred. As you mentioned, the Romanian Government opened a temporary Consulate, of course we made the request. The number of visa applications is increasing and they were unable to issue the visas in time. Then we talked to the Foreign Minister here and also my Foreign Minister made a request to the Foreign Minister of Romania to send a consular team in Bangladesh to solve the visa issues. On our request, they were very kind, they sent a consular team for three months. It was a six member consular team, five of them were there for three months. And only in three months time they issued 5.300 visas. Now you see that only in three months – 5.300. And in half year time – only another 5.000. So you see how much important is the presence of a diplomatic mission. It increases and expedite the volume of work. So the presence of a diplomatic mission is important not only that as we are here our business is increasing rapidly. Maybe we will discuss this issue later.

Reporter: About the destination. Maybe Romania is a destination for foreign investors from Bangladesh. Do you have data about the investments from Bangladesh in Romania and vice versa and in which sector they operate?

H.E. Mr. Daud ALI: Regarding the investments, we are still looking for investments from different countries. My present Government is making a plan to open to hundred economic zones in Bangladesh. Many of them are at the stage of finish. Many are in project. Big countries, for example USA, China, Japan, Korea, India, they are taking big chunk of land in that economic zone to set off industries for their own business people. Not only that. Many business people from the European Countries, like Sweden, Germany, they are going to Bangladesh, they are setting industries in Bangladesh in that economic zones. Why they are setting? Because this Government is making a very good foreign investment policy. It means that if someone is investing in that economic zone, they will get lot of facilities, including tax facilities. For the first ten years, the company did not have to pay any tax to the government. After that, 11th, 12th and 13th year had tax deduction. So after 13 years they need to pay taxes. Not only than, in that economic zone, when they are setting industries, they need some materials to bring to set up the industries. For that materials, equipments, they don’t need to pay any custom duties, it’s free of cost. No customs for that. After setting the industry, the production, what they will produce there, they are allowed to export all this products to other countries. If they want, they can also sell in local market. For any region, if they want to close down their factory, they can take the money back without any cautions. If they want to hand it over to other companies, no restriction for that. So we are trying to give the best investment policy to attract foreign investors. Of course, we are having a good number of investors. If we talk about Romanian investors, since we don’t have any diplomatic mission, Romania doesn’t have diplomatic representation in Bangladesh, so the people of Romania, especially the business people investors, they don’t have this kind of information. So I am trying to meet the Chamber of Commerce, the business people and trying them to pass this message that this is the good investment policy in Bangladesh, so you are welcome to invest in Bangladesh. We hope soon we will have investors from Romania. In terms of investments from Bangladesh, truly speaking that the Bangladeshi investors these days they are starting to go outside to invest in addition to Bangladesh. Mostly they are investing in African countries, because the return in the African countries is more than the other European countries. Most of the investors are in the textile sector or the medicine sector. We have one medicine company called Pharmaceutical, Square Pharmaceuticals and they invest in Kenya. We have some investors in the textile sector, they invest in Ethiopia and some other countries. So soon I hope some investors will come in Romania also to invest in those sectors. I am also getting some proposal from the Romanian side that they want investment in the textile sector because they have money, but they need technology and people to run that factory. So soon I hope that our presence and to the Romanian side we already made the request to open diplomatic mission in Bangladesh, so if they will also open a diplomatic mission in Bangladesh that will help the two nations to come closer to business, to investors and that will help us to get investment from both sides.

Reporter: About the economic area. Bilateral trade in the first eight months reached the level of 45 million dollars. It’s a very good increase, about 70 percent. How does the embassy support the development of this commercial relation?

H.E. Mr. Daud ALI: I am very happy to know that in these eight month the trade is in increasing trend. Not only that, last year from Bangladesh to Romania the export of Bangladesh increased by 53 percent compared to the last financial year. We calculate from July to June. Our presence is also helping to increase this trade. How is it happening? At least a few big chambers, I met the presidents, their officials. If you see the local market, you have H&M, Zara, Max & Spencer, Selgros and many other shops. They are selling Bangladeshi textile products, garments. But most of these products are not directly imported. They are coming from Germany, mainly from big business people from Germany, Netherland. They are importing from Bangladesh and they are selling to Romanian market. Who is benefiting from that? Their business people, not the Romanian business people. So I requested them, I asked them, look, if your business men can import this product, the same product directly from Bangladesh to there, then your business people will benefit from it. Your port, Constanta Port, will be used and the port will benefit from it. The Romanian people will get the same product for a cheaper price. The Romanian people will benefit from it and of course the Bangladeshi people will benefit from it. So why the business people should not import the same product from Bangladesh directly? After that at least I know that few business man they came to me to visit Bangladesh and I made connections with them to the Bangladeshi business people, so I believe that this increased the business from the Bangladesh side. Of course, it is possible that the Romanian business people would like to export their products in Bangladesh then they need to visit Bangladesh, they need to know the Bangladesh market, have lot of opportunities to increase your business volume, have lot of potentials but we need more connections, people to people connection, businessmen to businessmen connections. That will help us to increase the business from both sides. So I believe that in future the business people from Romania and Bangladesh will visit each others countries and look for opportunities for their businesses.

Reporter: You mentioned year 2021, a year marking the bilateral relation with the occasion of the visit to Romania of Foreign Minister of your country, Abdul Momen, at the invitation of our Minister Bogdan Aurescu, representing the most important high level contact in the last 50 years between Romania and Bangladesh. How is the follow up of this visit? Are they on the right track?

H.E. Mr. Daud ALI: It is true that was the first ever Foreign Minister level visit from any side in the last 50 years. That is a very turning point of our political relation. Of course we have a very good relation in the international level. We support each other for many sectors. In terms of the bilateral relations, that visit is very important. I am very happy that the Romanian Government on their own and also on our request they invited our Foreign Minister to visit Romania. During that visit I mention that lot of issues were discussed to enhance our bilateral relations and now it is on track. In many sectors we are improving, especially in the level market, in the economic sector and also in the university student sector. About the students, before 2021, 2020, there was not a single student from Bangladesh here in Romania. Only maybe one or two students, who were not coming from Bangladesh but from other countries. Bangladeshi, they used to live in other countries, they came here for study. But in 2021 suddenly 175 student got student visa to study here in Romania. This year the number definitely will be more. I am waiting for the final numbers from their embassy issuing the visas. This number could be more than 300+. So this is an improvement in this sector. As I mentioned we signed a MoU with the Politehnica University that will provide scholarship for Bangladeshi students. Last year, the Romanian Government also provide scholarship for the Bangladeshi students. For this year I don’t have the exact number, of course some of them already got their scholarships. I will know later how many Bangladeshi students got the Romanian scholarship to study here. I discussed with the University in Cluj, Babes Bolyay, they are also preparing the same document we already signed with the Polithnica University. So they will also provide some scholarships for the Bangladeshi. If we can bring more Bangladeshi students here in Romania, because in Romania the cost in not to high compared to other European countries, so that would be an opportunity for the Bangladeshi students to learn the Romanian language, culture, that could be an opportunity for cultural transformation. So that is my target that student from Bangladesh will come here to learn the Romanian Language, culture and develop the cultural relations. That is one of my targets. The Foreign Minister also invited the Foreign Minister of Romania to visit Bangladesh so they have the possibility to visit Bangladesh this year but the Foreign Minister said not this year, hopefully the next year. So I am expecting the Foreign Minister of Romania will visit Bangladesh in the coming years. That will be on my list, to improve our bilateral relations. We already discussed that our business is coming up. After the visit of the Foreign Minister, the mayor of the Sector 3 of Bucharest visited Bangladesh on the invitation of our South City, Dhaka South City Corporation. During that visit, the two mayors signed a MoU with the concept of sister cities. That means the mayors will cooperate with each other in the concept of sister cities. So that is also an important issue that the visit already started and I believe that in future it will continue. That means we can go back to our previous relations and the political relation will enhance in the coming years.

Reporter: What other projects, but in political, cultural, health and tourism areas would you mention as a representative of Bangladesh in Romania?

H.E. Mr. Daud ALI: For the investment sector we already discussed but I could mention that some Bangladeshis already started to invest here in Romania. I know at least one company to invest in the IT sector. He already invested 100.000 euros to open the company and is going to start his IT sector business here. Many other companies are also asking information about how to invest here. These are not big companies, but they are starting to look for opportunities to open here. In the student sector, as I mentioned, many students started to come here but they are mostly coming for general education and engineering sector. Mainly in the economics, business and IT sector. In the field of medicine there is still not interest because of the length of the studies, to almost 10 years to gain the certificate to become a doctor. It is not easy, it is very long. in terms of culture, enhance made, when I met the mayor of Sector 2, we discussed these issues and he said if any cultural groups from Bangladesh are coming to Bucharest then he will provide the space at free cost to host the cultural program there. But you know in the past years we faced some difficulties due to Coronavirus. That was lot of movement restrictions so it could not happen. I hope that in future, cultural groups from Bangladesh will come here. From Romania at least 2-3 cultural people went in Bangladesh to organize cultural program, joint programs. I also talked with the Minister of Culture in Romania and we are planning to sign a MoU called Cultural Cooperation between the two countries. So we are working on it. I hope in future we will have some kind of institutional conformation that will cooperate each other and in the field of culture.

Reporter: What is special about your country, something that could be interesting for Romania or European Union?

H.E. Mr. Daud ALI: You know the labor issues. This is not only the interest of Bangladesh. It is the interest of both countries. Why am I telling this things? After becoming the member of the European Union, Romanian are now mostly in the Western, West European countries. So there is a big vacuum on the labor market. The industries, the factories, they are unable to run their factories.

Reporter: We need you…

H.E. Mr. Daud ALI: So you need people.

Reporter: Yes.

H.E. Mr. Daud ALI: So you are bringing people from the Asian countries. Mostly the Asian Countries. Like India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Vietnam, Sri Lanka. But there ore some differences between the Bangladeshi people and other Asian countries people. How I know that? During working here, I met some factory owners. All of them are happy to take the Bangladeshi workers. All of them mentioned that they are sincere workers, they don’t drink, they are present at work in time, they are very interested to work overtime to get more money, so they don’t need to hire many people. Using same workers interested in working overtime, using them can solve their problems. So this is the indication from one to hundred to ten thousand in short term, even this year, as I mentioned until 18 November they already issued 8.064 visas. At least another 4-5.000 visas applications are pending. So if we could get this visas on time maybe this number will go to 12-13.000 in one year. It is not a small number. It is happening because they know the Bangladeshi people, they know their work ability, then they are bringing more Bangladeshi workers. So this is more interesting. A specific example. You have a shipyard. It is Government ownership. Initially they used to take workers from other Asian countries. I met them and I requested them… ok, go to Bangladesh, take practically interviews with the Bangladeshi workers. If you like them, then select them. Initially they went in Bangladesh and selected 51 workers. They are working in the shipyard. A few months later they again request me for their visas because they wanted to go to Bangladesh to select more workers. So this is an indication that they are happy with the Bangladeshi workers. Now they are bringing more Bangladeshi, all the companies. I know other construction company in Sibiu area. He already bring 125 workers and selected around 600 workers and almost every month he is going to Bangladesh to select more workers to bring gradually more Bangladeshi workers in Romania. It is a clear example. I mention the economic interest. It’s increasing. The Dacca is showing us that the business from both sides, exports are increasing. Next is the student. Many of our students had no idea that in Romania they can study their courses in English. Always they think that only in Romanian are teaching. But before starting the program they don’t have the idea. So this number is increasing and I believe in future… even tomorrow I have a meeting with the rector of the University of Bucharest so we will discuss these issues again. I am trying to meet rectors of different universities. I met the rector of the Romanian-American University. Last year they had no application from Bangladesh. Only one student from Bangladesh, two students in fact, one at the graduate level, the other on master. The vice-rector told me that this year they received 142 applications from Bangladesh. So now you see there was no single application and suddenly is going to 142. I met the rector of the Western University in Timisoara. They also said they received about 600 application. Is an indication that this sector is also coming up. In future you will see that many Bangladeshi students are in Romania, In the cultural sector since the Coronavirus is going to be over, I hope we will overcome this Corona situation and in future will see the cultural transformation, many Bangladeshis will come here, many Romanians already started to visit Bangladesh. We are getting  tourism sector. This year, at least I myself received 10-12 guests including our ambassadors, my friends, family friends. All of them said we had no idea about this development of Romania. So all of them they are very happy to visit and to see the places of Romania. That means we need some kind of media that can help us to give the proper information to our tourism sector. Many tourists are starting to come here. I am also receiving many requests for tourist visa to visit Bangladesh. A few days back, 7 tourist they came to us in group to get the Bangladesh visa. It started, so in future we will see that more tourists will visit each other countries.

Reporter: In conclusion, your Excellency, please send a message to the Romanians, in the context of 50 years of diplomatic relations.

H.E. Mr. Daud ALI: My message is very clear. We need to make people to people contact. Otherwise we cannot know each other. We need to improve our relations since we have 50 years of diplomatic relations. We never forget our old friends, their support. At the same time the young generation don’t have the information about Bangladesh and also our young generation don’t have the information about Romania. So if our presence and in future the Romanian presence could assist each other to know the people, to make people to people contact, then we could benefit each other. So my message is that the business people, the general people need to know each other country, to visit each other country so we can develop our cooperation in future.