Karachi, 15 March 2023:

Benazir Bhutto Dewan University welcomes Bangladesh Deputy High Commissioner in Karachi at its main campus. Bangladesh Deputy High Commissioner in Karachi S. M. Mahbubul Alam addresses a group of students, faculty members, researchers and administrators of the University. Around 200 students and faculty members of the university were present. Vice Chancellor Prof Dr. Aurangzeb Khan along with other faculty members received the Deputy High Commissioner of Bangladesh at the University Campus.

Benazir Bhutto Dewan University was deeply eager to listen to the Deputy High Commissioner on Bangladesh’s stories and the bilateral relationship between Bangladesh and Pakistan. In his speech as the Chief Guest and the only Speaker on “Bangladesh-Pakistan Bilateral Relationships” he focused on a different issue areas. He strongly highlighted on the   Bangladesh’s Foreign Policy and Bangladesh’s Success Stories. He briefed on the Bangladesh’s success stories in the socio-economic vis-à-vis diplomatic fronts. He mentioned that Bangladesh has been pursuing the foreign policy of “Friendship to all and malice towards none” since her Independence in 1971 as was postulated by the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, which continues to provide the philosophical underpinning of Bangladesh’s pro-peace foreign policy. He further mentioned that Father of the Nation propounded the peace and development-centric foreign policy, which remains the guiding principle of Bangladesh’s diplomatic engagements today. He mentioned that Father of the Nation was a pioneer in promoting regional and international peace and he was awarded the Juliot-Curie Peace Price in 1973, who was a leader of the peace-loving people of Bangladesh and an encouragement for millions in the entire world.

Deputy High Commissioner briefed that Bangladesh was the leading proponent and had significant role in mooting the notion and steering the UN General Assembly resolution on ‘Culture of Peace’ in 1999. Bangladesh ranks as the top troops and police contributing country in the UN Peacekeeping operations. He further added that Bangladesh has peacefully settled the land borders and maritime boundaries with the neighboring countries. He further highlighted that Bangladesh has given shelter on humanitarian ground to over 1.1 million Rohingya, who are the forcibly displaced nationals of Myanmar and the entire international community highly appreciated the Bangladesh’s very responsible and humanitarian stand.

Deputy High Commissioner also availed the opportunity also to highlight the socio-economic developments of Bangladesh and mentioned that Bangladesh has full-filled all the criteria for graduation to developing country from LDC status. The international community has already cited Bangladesh as the ‘Role Model’ for socio-economic development. He focused on different completed and ongoing mega projects including Padma Bridge, Metro Rail, Bangabandhu Karnaphuli River Tunnel, Bangabandhu Satellite-1 and so forth. He also focused on Bangladesh’s success stories in areas such as education, women empowerment, health, ICT, agriculture, industrialization including 100 SEZs, and so forth. He highlighted that Bangladesh is one of the five fasted growing economies in the world. Bangladesh will be a trillion dollar economy with the 9^th largest market in the world by 2040. Bangladesh has attained the per capita income of US$2,824 and already has achieved ‘Vision 2021’ and is striving hard to achieve “Vision 2041” to become a higher middle-income country by 2031 and developed and smart country by 2041.

Benazir Bhutto Dewan University’s students were deeply impressed to know the success stories and dynamic foreign policy of Bangladesh. They have shown keen interest to know more about Bangladesh, the people of Bangladesh and the Development Policies of Bangladesh. They expressed their willingness to have wider people-to-people contacts and cooperation in all possible areas including education and research between the two countries. The speech by the Deputy High Commissioner causes in the understanding and perception of the students and faculty members of the Benazir Bhutto Dewan University about Bangladesh and her development a Paradigm Shift.