Published: 10:36 AM, 16 September 2026
Shama seeks greater French investment in potential sectors
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam on Sunday urged France to increase investment in Bangladesh’s potential sectors while seeking greater access for diversified Bangladeshi products to the French market.
She made the call during a meeting with a three-member delegation of French senators at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs here, according to a ministry press release.
The French delegation consisted of Senators Guillaume Chevrollier, Pierre-Alain Roiron and Olivier Henno, who arrived in Dhaka on Saturday night on a three-day official visit.
French Ambassador to Bangladesh Jean-Marc Séré-Charlet and Christian Bec, Head of the Political Wing at the French Embassy in Dhaka, accompanied the senators during the meeting.
During the talks, the two sides held wide-ranging discussions on Bangladesh-France relations, with particular emphasis on strengthening cooperation between the democratic institutions of the two countries.
Welcoming the delegation, Shama expressed Bangladesh’s interest in further deepening engagement with the French Senate, including through increased interaction within the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).
She highlighted Bangladesh’s interest in diversifying its exports to France, particularly pharmaceuticals, leather, ceramics and jute products, while encouraging greater French investment in these and other potential sectors.
The state minister appreciated France’s continued support for Bangladesh’s democratic transition and socio-economic development.
She also underscored the scope for expanding bilateral cooperation in trade and investment, education, culture, migration and mobility, and other areas of mutual interest.
Both sides agreed to pursue measures to enhance technical and vocational skills development opportunities for the Bangladeshi workforce.
Shama emphasised the importance of creating greater opportunities for legal and regular labour mobility.
Reaffirming Bangladesh’s zero-tolerance policy towards irregular migration and human trafficking, she expressed Dhaka’s readiness to work closely with Paris to prevent irregular migration.
The two sides also exchanged views on regional and global issues, including environment and climate change, women’s empowerment and multilateral cooperation, and reiterated their commitment to working together in multilateral fora.
They expressed confidence that exchange of parliamentary delegations would provide fresh impetus to Bangladesh-France relations and further strengthen the longstanding friendship and partnership between the two countries.
