Photo-Collected.
Dhaka //

The Advisory Council of the interim government has approved the proposal to open a Bangladesh High Commission in Wellington, the capital of New Zealand. In addition, a proposal to publish a notification awarding rebel poet Kazi Nazrul Islam as the ‘National Poet’ of Bangladesh has been approved.

These decisions were made at a meeting of the Advisory Council at the office of the Chief Advisor to the interim government in Tejgaon in the capital on Thursday. It was presided over by Chief Advisor Dr. Muhammad Yunus. Later, the decision of the meeting was announced by the Cabinet Division.

The Cabinet Division informed that New Zealand is known as one of the richest countries in the South-West Pacific region in terms of political stability and good governance. The country is ranked 16th in the Human Development Index. About 10,000 Bangladeshis live in the country. About 1,000 Bangladeshi students are studying in various universities in New Zealand.

The Cabinet Division said that New Zealand is an island country geographically isolated from the mainland. Therefore, it is not always possible to ensure proper services to Bangladeshi expatriates in New Zealand from the concurrent country of responsibility, Australia. At the same time, Bangladeshi expatriates face various adversities, including huge expenses, when going to Australia to receive consular services.

The Cabinet Division stated that if the Bangladesh High Commission is established in Wellington, it will be easy and affordable for Bangladeshi expatriates in New Zealand to directly reach all types of consular services of the embassy.

The Cabinet Division said that currently, there are diplomatic missions of 72 countries in New Zealand, including Bangladesh’s neighboring countries, India and Pakistan. In this situation, if a Bangladeshi mission is established in New Zealand, it will pave the way for further growth of bilateral relations between the two countries, the Cabinet Division said.

The Cabinet Division said that it would be a timely decision to establish a full-fledged mission in Wellington, the capital of New Zealand, considering the multidimensional interests of Bangladesh, including political, strategic, commercial, economic, education, expatriate welfare, etc. However, all expenses in this regard will be met in the next fiscal year (2025-26).