Staff Reporter:
The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) has expressed its willingness to extend full cooperation to Bangladesh in its overall reform process, including legal and judicial reforms and constitutional amendments.
The UNDP has shown the keenness when its Resident Representative Stephen Rodriques paid a courtesy call on the Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed at his ministry office in Bangladesh Sec-retariat this morning, said a press release of the ministry.
During the meeting, held in a cordial atmosphere, the two sides discussed a wide range of issues of mutual interest, including constitutional reform, assistance for Rohingya refugees, capacity building of Bangladesh Police, institutional and technological support to combat rumors and misinformation,
the proposed National Human Rights Commission Act, and the draft Prevention and Remedy of Enforced Disappearance Act.
Rodriques said UNDP is keen to support the current government’s priorities and reform agen-da.
“We want to support the goals, priorities and action plans of the present government,” he said, congratulating Salahuddin Ahmed on his appointment as chairman of the special committee on constitutional amendments.
“If you wish, we are interested in providing the necessary support for this reform process,” he added.
The home minister highly appreciated UNDP’s longstanding contributions to Bangladesh’s so-cio-economic development and called for further expansion of the partnership in the coming days.
Highlighting Bangladesh’s image abroad, the UNDP resident representative said international media do not always portray the country’s actual picture.
He described Bangladesh as a liberal and religiously tolerant country and said UNDP is interest-ed in supporting efforts to promote its positive image internationally.
