Ambassador Tran Van Khoa met with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in Dhaka on Thursday, as confirmed by the prime minister's Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim. During the meeting, the ambassador expressed his satisfaction with the extension of the memorandum of understanding on rice trade between Bangladesh and Vietnam. He also mentioned that the first shipment of rice from Vietnam is expected to arrive in Chittagong within 15 days. Prime Minister Hasina emphasized the importance of preserving extra food to be prepared for any unforeseen circumstances. She also commended Vietnam for its impressive socioeconomic development post-war. She stated, "Vietnam serves as a model for us and we look up to them. We had to struggle for independence just like Vietnam." The prime minister highlighted the importance of enhancing connectivity and economic collaboration between Bangladesh and Southeast Asian countries. She mentioned that Bangladesh and Vietnam could exchange knowledge in various sectors such as trade and culture. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina held a meeting with the new Vietnam Ambassador to Bangladesh Tran Van Khoa at her office in the parliament. Photo: PID

Hasina characterized poverty as a shared issue among developing nations and urged for collective efforts to eradicate this 'curse'. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina held a meeting with the new Vietnam Ambassador to Bangladesh Tran Van Khoa at her office in the parliament. She expressed optimism about achieving success through collaboration. The Vietnamese ambassador commended Bangladesh's efforts in fighting terrorism and tackling climate change, stating that the two countries have much in common and can learn from each other. Tran Van Khoa also praised Bangladesh for achieving a 7.24 percent GDP growth in the previous fiscal year and conveyed best wishes from the Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc to the Bangladesh premier. He also gave Hasina a book that detailed the life of Vietnamese communist revolutionary leader Ho Chi Minh, along with 'unforgettable memories' of the War of Liberation. Khoa mentioned that both countries had acknowledged their respective Wars of Liberation and stressed the importance of high-level delegation visits. The newly appointed envoy expressed his intention to enhance bilateral relations and continue cooperation in various sectors. The event was attended by PM's Principal Secretary Dr Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury and Senior PMO Secretary Suraiya Begum. To recover from damage caused by unseasonal downpours in April, Bangladesh plans to import a quarter million tonnes of rice from Vietnam. Official estimates indicate that the crops that were lost would have produced approximately 600,000 tonnes of rice. Unofficial estimates suggest that the number is closer to 2.2 million tonnes of rice. In response, the government has reduced import duties and issued new tenders in an attempt to lower local prices.