Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus has called on Norway to make Bangladesh a regional distribution hub for its products and increase investments in the country to leverage its youthful workforce.
“Use Bangladesh as a base for distributing Norwegian products in Asia so that you don’t need to bring your people from Norway and can use our young people,” Prof Yunus told Norwegian Ambassador to Bangladesh, Hakon Arald Gulbrandsen, during a meeting at his Tejgaon office.
Highlighting the success of Grameenphone, the first overseas venture of Norwegian telecom giant Telenor, Yunus emphasized the potential of similar initiatives. He described Grameenphone as the “most profitable venture in the Telenor family.”
Ambassador Gulbrandsen presented a letter from Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, expressing strong support for Bangladesh’s Interim Government. The letter commended the government’s commitment to democratic reforms, free and fair elections, human rights, and environmental sustainability.
Norway expressed interest in collaborating with Bangladesh in the ship recycling industry and the transition to green energy. Prof Yunus also sought Norway’s support in resolving the Rohingya crisis, citing Norway’s notable role in peacekeeping.
“Norway has played a significant role in global peacekeeping. We need your help in addressing the Rohingya crisis amid Myanmar’s changing political landscape,” Yunus said.
On upcoming elections, Yunus assured the ambassador that the government was determined to make the next general election “historic” and a benchmark in democratic practices.
Additionally, Norway pledged to strengthen cooperation with Bangladesh on international issues, including the Palestinian crisis, international taxation, and plastic pollution. The Norwegian Deputy Head of Mission, Marrianne Rabe Knaevelsrud, thanked Bangladesh for sponsoring Norway’s UN resolution on humanitarian access in Palestine.
