Ambassador Tran Van Khoa, during a visit to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in Dhaka on Thursday, expressed contentment over the extension of the memorandum of understanding on rice trade between Bangladesh and Vietnam. The ambassador also mentioned that the first shipment of rice from Vietnam is expected to arrive in Chittagong within the next 15 days. Following the meeting, the prime minister's Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed journalists on the discussions. During the meeting, Prime Minister Hasina emphasized the importance of storing additional food reserves to handle any unforeseen circumstances. She also highlighted Vietnam's impressive progress in socio-economic development post-war. Hasina stated that Vietnam serves as a model for them and they look up to it, citing the struggle for independence as a common experience. She highlighted the importance of enhancing connectivity and economic collaboration between Bangladesh and Southeast Asian countries. Hasina also mentioned the potential for sharing experiences in areas such as trade and culture between Bangladesh and Vietnam. During a meeting with the new Vietnam Ambassador to Bangladesh, Tran Van Khoa, at her office in the parliament, Hasina emphasized the need for cooperation to eradicate poverty, which she referred to as a shared challenge for developing nations. The Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, held a meeting with the new Vietnam Ambassador, 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 addressing climate change, mentioning that both countries have much to learn from each other. He also praised Bangladesh's 7.24 percent GDP growth in the previous fiscal year and conveyed best wishes from the Vietnamese Prime Minister to Sheikh Hasina. He also gave Hasina a book about the life of Ho Chi Minh, a Vietnamese communist revolutionary leader, which contained 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 new envoy stated that his main goal would be to enhance the bilateral relations between Bangladesh and Vietnam and to 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. Bangladesh plans to import 250,000 tonnes of rice from Vietnam to replenish crops lost due to unseasonal downpours in April. According to official reports, the damaged crops would have produced approximately 600,000 tons of rice. Unofficial reports suggest the number could be as high as 2.2 million tons of rice. In response, the government has reduced import taxes and issued new bids to lower domestic prices.