Dhaka: The first High Commissioner of Bangladesh to New Zealand, Samina Naz, has presented her letter of credence to Governor General of New Zealand Dame Cindy Kiro, reaffirming the commitment of the government of Bangladesh to taking the Bangladesh-New Zealand bilateral relations to new heights. The letter was presented at a special ceremony held at the Government House in Wellington, New Zealand.
According to United News of Bangladesh, diplomatic relations between Bangladesh and New Zealand date back to 1972. With the growing number of expatriate Bangladeshis in New Zealand, and to infuse new momentum in bilateral relations, the government of Bangladesh decided to establish a diplomatic mission in New Zealand in 2025. The Bangladesh High Commission in New Zealand is concurrently accredited to the Pacific island states of Samoa and Tuvalu.
Following the ceremonial proceedings, Dame Cindy Kiro extended a warm reception to High Commissioner Samina Naz, congratulating her on her assumption of duties as the inaugural High Commissioner Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Bangladesh to New Zealand. In response, Naz expressed her gratitude for the gracious welcome and conveyed warm greetings from President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and the people of Bangladesh.
After presenting the credentials, at the request of the Governor-General, High Commissioner Samina Naz recited a poem of her own composition on Bangladesh and New Zealand friendship, which was appreciated by the Governor-General and the Protocol of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of New Zealand. The High Commissioner reaffirmed the commitment of the government of Bangladesh to enhancing bilateral relations by exploring further avenues of cooperation in areas such as trade and investment, agriculture, education, sports, art and culture, people-to-people connectivity, shared Commonwealth ties, and common commitments to development, peace, human rights, and climate change.