Dhaka, Sep 9 (bdnews24.com)—The Netherlands, known for its advanced irrigation systems, has shown interest in assisting Bangladesh in modernizing its own irrigation system. Foreign adviser Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury held separate meetings with the Dutch foreign minister and development cooperation minister in Amsterdam on Monday, as announced by the foreign affairs ministry on Tuesday. During the meeting with development cooperation minister Bert Koenders, Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury emphasized the importance of directing Dutch aid through the government instead of NGOs and multilateral agencies. They discussed potential areas of cooperation such as modern irrigation systems, livestock and dairy, food processing, and agro-business development. Additionally, Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury met with Dutch counterpart Maxime Verhagen. The foreign ministry of Bangladesh described the Netherlands as a reliable partner for development during a recent meeting. Iftekhar encouraged the Dutch foreign minister to expand their imports from Bangladesh beyond just ready-made garments, suggesting areas like small and medium size ships. They also decided to collaborate on issues like climate change. Verhagen pledged support for the electoral process and was informed about the preparations for the Jatiya Sangsad polls by the adviser. Iftekhar highlighted the importance of having a European Union Observer Mission for the upcoming elections while discussing the current government's reform programs with the Dutch minister. The meetings were attended by Mizanur Rahman, the Ambassador of Bangladesh to the Netherlands, M Zulfiqur Rahman, the director general of the foreign ministry, and Bea Ten Touscher, the Dutch envoy to Bangladesh.