Dhaka: A French parliamentary delegation paid a courtesy call on Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad at his office on Tuesday. The delegation included French senators Pierre-Alain Roiron, Olivier Henno, and Guillaume Chevrollier.
According to United News of Bangladesh, during the meeting, Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad highlighted the longstanding friendship between France and Bangladesh, dating back to Bangladesh's War of Liberation. He noted that France serves as Bangladesh's second-largest trading partner in Europe and expressed optimism about further strengthening bilateral relations through the formation of a France-Bangladesh Parliamentary Caucus.
The Speaker criticized what he described as the undermining of democratic rights in Bangladesh during the 15-year 'authoritarian rule' of the Awami League. He emphasized the Bangladeshi people's unwavering commitment to democracy and their refusal to yield to autocratic governance. Hafiz Uddin also paid homage to the French citizen Andr© Malraux for his significant contributions during Bangladesh's War of Liberation.
The French delegation stressed the importance of expanding parliamentary diplomacy by establishing a France-Bangladesh parliamentary committee. They also advocated for increasing French investment in oil and gas exploration in Bangladesh's coastal regions. The French parliamentary delegation extended an invitation to the Speaker and a Bangladeshi parliamentary delegation to visit France on behalf of the French Senate.