Staff correspondent :

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has called on the European Union (EU) to grant GSP+ facilities to Bangladesh to support Bangladesh’s development after its transition from LDC in 2026.
He said in a statement at the signing ceremony of several agreements at the EU headquarters, “I hope that the European Union will grant GSP+ facilities to Bangladesh to support our development after Bangladesh’s transition from LDC in 2026.”
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and European Commission Chairperson Ursula von der Leyen witnessed the signing of several agreements, including a 350 million euro financing agreement, between the Government of Bangladesh and the European Investment Bank (EIB) at the European Commission headquarters in Brussels.
Sheikh Hasina said in the statement that Bangladesh has expressed deep concern over the war and wants to work together to establish global peace.
He thanked the EU for providing humanitarian assistance to the 1.2 million Rohingya refugees temporarily sheltered in Bangladesh.
Sheikh Hasina said that the safe and sustainable repatriation of the Rohingyas to their homeland Myanmar is the only solution to this crisis.
The Prime Minister also said, ‘I call on the EU to urgently engage in a sustainable solution to this crisis.’Sheikh Hasina said, ‘This year Bangladesh-EU partnership has completed 50 years.
We are happy that the EU is now Bangladesh’s largest trading partner.’ The Prime Minister recalled the formality of this system from his first term to 2000 and said that every scheme of the European Union except weapons has contributed greatly to the socio-economic development of Bangladesh. The Prime Minister said, ‘We have reiterated our commitment to protect the rights of workers as well as their safety and regular migration.’ Pointing out that there was an open exchange of views on Bangladesh-EU relations between them, Sheikh Hasina said, ‘We reiterated the common values ​​of democracy, human rights and rule of law.’
Following bilateral talks between the Prime Minister of Bangladesh and EC President Ursula von der Leyen, three loan and grant agreements between Bangladesh, the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the European Commission (EC) have been signed here in Belgium to support Bangladesh’s renewable energy sector. At this time, the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, President of the European Commission and EIB President Werner Hoar witnessed the agreement signing ceremony.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in her statement that two investment packages have been signed. The first is a renewable energy package worth more than 400 million euros to accelerate the green transition in Bangladesh. The second investment package is our 2023 Annual Action Plan – a roadmap of €70 million investments in your public administration and employment, skills and education and green transformation. He then added, ‘So, this really kicks off this new chapter in our partnership.’
The EC president said they are first re-negotiating a new partnership and cooperation agreement. And this is great news! Second, this new chapter in our relationship will be bolstered by new investments under Global Gateway, Lane added. And that’s what we discussed.’
On the achievement of 50 years of relationship between Bangladesh and the European Union, he said, ‘We have built a strong partnership and now we will take it to the next level. Because the European Union is happy to be faithful to its long-standing partners in these times of global turmoil. Because they can trust us.’
The first agreement was signed between Bangladesh and the EU for an EU-guaranteed framework loan of up to EUR 350 million for the implementation of the ‘Bangladesh Renewable Energy Facility’ project to support climate-focused investment in Bangladesh. A second grant agreement of EUR 45 million was signed between the EIB and the EU. The third agreement is between Bangladesh and the European Commission for the €12 million “Partnership for Green Energy Transition” project, co-financed by Germany, which aims to work towards an inclusive green energy transition with a policy, legal framework and climate investment.
Economic Relations Department Secretary Sharifa Khan, EIB (GLO) Deputy Managing Director Markus Berndt and EC Director General (DG) International Partnerships Koen Doens signed the agreement.