Bangladesh and France have signed two bilateral agreements to improve cooperation in infrastructure and to build the first-ever earth observation satellite. French President Emmanuel Macron held wide-ranging talks with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during his visit to Dhaka. This is the first visit by a French president to Bangladesh since 1990.
During the talks, Macron expressed France’s support for Bangladesh’s policy independence, particularly in the context of ongoing geopolitical instability and economic uncertainty. Both leaders hope that the strategic move between the two countries will contribute to establishing regional and global stability and peace.
Prime Minister Hasina emphasized that Bangladesh and France, as leading and responsible powers in the Asia-Pacific region, will work together to ensure geopolitical stability. France, as a trusted development partner, has assured Bangladesh of its continued cooperation in infrastructure development.
The first agreement, a Credit Facility Agreement, was signed between the Economic Relations Division of Bangladesh and the France Development Agency. It will support the Urban Governance and Infrastructure Improvement project, which aims to enhance municipal infrastructure and service provision in 88 municipalities.
The second agreement is a Letter of Intent between Bangladesh Satellite Company Limited (BSCL) and Airbus Defence and Space SAS of France. This agreement pertains to the development of the Bangabandhu-2 Earth Observation Satellite System. This satellite will be Bangladesh’s first-ever earth observation satellite, reducing the country’s reliance on buying images from other companies’ satellites.
The bilateral trade between Dhaka and Paris reached a record high of 4.9 billion euros in 2022. Thirty French companies currently have offices in Bangladesh, with a focus on the ready-made garment sector, logistics shipping, and engineering.
These agreements between Bangladesh and France signify a commitment to further enhancing cooperation and deepening ties between the two nations in various areas, including infrastructure and space technology development.