Bangladesh France Relations
POLITICAL RELATION
Bangladesh was recognized by France as a sovereign state on 14th February 1972. On 17th March 1972, Bangladesh opened its resident Diplomatic Mission in Paris. Since the visit of French President François Mitterrand to Bangladesh in 1990, the bilateral relations between the two countries have remained very cordial. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina paid an official visit to Paris in 1999. Throughout the last decades, the two countries have exchanged many visits at high political levels to maintain close relationship. In June 2010 Foreign Minister Dr. Dipu Moni, MP was received in Paris by her French counterpart Mr. Bernard Kouchner.
France remains a major partner of Bangladesh within the European Union. France is currently funding various projects in Bangladesh led by the European Union. France is also directly supporting infrastructure development projects in Bangladesh through l’Agence Française de Développement (AFD).
Important visits from Bangladesh
1978 May 1-3 : Foreign Minister Professor Shamsul Huq
1979 July 7-8 : Prime Minister Shah Azizur Rahman
1980 Aug 20 : President Ziaur Rahman
1988 Nov 2 -5 : Prime Minister Barrister Moudud Ahmed
1989 Mar 22-24 : President H M Ershad
1989 July 12-15 : President H M Ershad
1990 Feb 6 : President H M Ershad
1992 July : Foreign Minister A S M Mustafizur Rahman
1999 Sept 22-25 : Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina
2006 Apr 24 : Foreign Minister M. Morshed Khan
2010 June 20-23 : Foreign Minister Dr. Dipu Moni, M.P.
2011 May 26 : Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina (to attend UNESCO High Level
Panel on Women’s Empowerment and Gender Equality
2013 June 26-27 : Foreign Minister Dr. Dipu Moni, M.P.
2015 June 21-24 : Foreign Minister Mr. Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali, MP
2016 October 26-28 : Foreign Minister Mr. Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali, MP
2017 July 22-27 : Minister, Housing & Public Works, Mr. Eng. Mosharraf Hossain, MP
2017 Sept 29-Nov 01 : Minister, Liberation War Affairs, Mr. A. K. M. Mozammel Huq, MP.
2017 Dec 11 – 13 : Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina
Important visits from France
1987 March 8-10 : Mr. Didier Bariani, State secretary of Foreign Affairs
1987 Sept. 11-13 : Mr. Guillaume, Minister of Agriculture
1988 Sept. 13 : Mrs. Mitterrand, spouse of President François Mitterrand
1989 Jan 27-31 : Mr. Bernard Kouchner, State secretary for humanitarian action
1990 Feb 22-24 : President Francois Mitterrand
1991 May 5-6 : Mr. Bernard Kouchner, State secretary for humanitarian action
1998 Sept 25 : Mr. Charles Josselin, Minister for Cooperation and Francophonie
2003 April 26-27 : Mr. Renaud Muselier, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
2004 Dec 11-13 : Mr. François Loos, Minister for Overseas Trade
2009 Oct : Mr. Jean-Louis BORLOO, Minister for Ecology,
Energy, Sustainable Development and Sea
Bilateral Agreements
|
Sl. No. |
Name of the Agreement |
Date of Signature
|
|
1. |
Agreement between Bangladesh and France for Peaceful use of Nuclear Energy |
29 August 1980
|
|
2. |
Agreement on the Reciprocal Promotion and Protection of Investments |
10 September 1985
|
|
3. |
Convention on Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to taxes on income |
09 March 1987
|
|
4. |
Agreement on Cultural, Scientific and Technical Cooperation |
10 March 1987
|
|
5. |
Memorandum of Understanding regarding conclusion of Air-Service Agreement between Bangladesh and France |
02 July 1998
|
ECONOMIC RELATION
France is the fourth largest export destination for Bangladesh. Readymade garments alone account for around 90% of our export earnings from France. Export of other products such as leather and footwear, shrimps and frozen fish, ceramic and pharmaceutical articles are also increasing in recent years. French exports to Bangladesh include spare parts for aircraft and vessels, alcoholic beverages, chemicals, food stuff etc.
The most notable French investment is the Lafarge-Surma cement factory (253 million USD) in Chhatak with a capacity of 1.2 million tons per year. Total has investment in an LPG factory in Chittagong. Other companies such as Aventis, ADEX, Adhipress, Danone, Vieola etc. have made smaller investments.
Bilateral Trade (Value in Million USD)
|
F Y |
Export |
Import |
Balance |
|
2001-2002 |
413.69 |
83.38 |
(+) 330.31 |
|
2002-2003 |
418.51 |
93.86 |
(+) 324.65 |
|
2003-2004 |
553.50 |
65.62 |
(+) 487.88 |
|
2004-2005 |
625.51 |
67.30 |
(+) 558.21 |
|
2005-2006 |
678.94 |
70.93 |
(+) 608.01 |
|
2006-2007 |
731.76 |
73.25 |
(+) 658.51 |
|
2007-2008 |
953.13 |
118.23 |
(+) 834.90 |
|
2008-2009 |
1031.05 |
130.62 |
(+) 900.43 |
|
2009-2010 |
1025.88 |
101.19 |
(+) 924.69 |
|
2010-2011 |
1537.98 |
102.10 |
(+) 1435.88 |
|
2011-2012 |
1380.37 |
109.10 |
(+) 1271.27 |
|
2012-2013 (July-Oct 2012) |
436.16 |
- |
- |
Source : EPB & Bangladesh Bank
EDUCATION, CULTURAL AND SCIENTIFIC COOPERATION
The two countries signed an Agreement on Cultural, Scientific and Technical Cooperationin 1987.
France runs two Alliance Francaise centers in Dhaka (established in 1959) and in Chittagong (established in 1965). Those centres work on developing the cultural ties between both the countries by sponsoring local and French cultural activities. France also runs an archaeological cooperation programme since 1993 at Mahastanghar of Bogra, an important archaeological site dating back to the fourth century B.C. until the 14th century.
PEOPLE-TO-PEOPLE CONTACT
The people-to-people contact between Bangladesh and France is particularly strong. The people of France spontaneously came forward, under the leadership of the renowned French thinker and philosopher Mr. André Malraux, to mobilize international public opinion in support of Liberation war in 1971.
According to the most recent French government statistics, there are about 12,000 Bangladeshis who have obtained either French citizenship or resident permit in France. Bangladeshis are mainly employed in the service sector including restaurants. Some of the Bangladeshis have small business establishments and restaurants. A small number of Bangladeshis are also employed as professionals, like doctors, engineers, and computer programmers.
Some French NGOs such as 'Friendship', Partners Bangladesh, Handicap International, Aide Médicale, Développement, Kinésithérapeutes Du Monde, SOLINFO etc. Run various programs to help underprivileged people in various areas in Bangladesh.