Dhaka, Sep 9 (bdnews24.com)—The Netherlands, known for its advanced irrigation systems, has shown interest in helping Bangladesh modernize its own irrigation system. Foreign adviser Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury held separate meetings on Monday with the Dutch foreign minister and development cooperation minister in Amsterdam, as stated by the foreign affairs ministry on Tuesday. During the meeting with development cooperation minister Bert Koenders, Chowdhury emphasized the importance of directing Dutch assistance through the government rather than NGOs and multilateral agencies, which is the current practice. They discussed potential areas of cooperation such as modern irrigation systems, livestock and dairy, food processing, and agro-business development. Additionally, Chowdhury also met with his Dutch counterpart Maxime Verhagen. According to the foreign ministry, Bangladesh described the Netherlands as a reliable partner in development during their recent meeting. Iftekhar encouraged the Dutch foreign minister to increase their imports from Bangladesh beyond just ready-made garments, suggesting other manufacturing sectors like small and medium size ships. They also agreed to collaborate on issues such as climate change. Verhagen promised to support the electoral process and was briefed by the adviser on preparations for the Jatiya Sangsad polls. 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 Bangladesh Ambassador to the Netherlands, M Zulfiqur Rahman, director general of the foreign ministry, and Bea Ten Touscher, the Dutch envoy to Bangladesh.