Latest news with #M.DelwarHossain
Arab News
10-04-2025
- Business
- Arab News
Bangladesh bringing Saudi ties to ‘new heights,' envoy says
RIYADH: Bangladesh is looking to seize the 'momentous occasion' of 50 years of ties with Saudi Arabia to bring its relationship with the Kingdom to new heights, the country's ambassador has said. M. Delwar Hossain, ambassador of Bangladesh to Saudi Arabia, was speaking at a Bangladesh National Day reception to mark the 54th anniversary of the country's independence. This year also marks 50 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between Dhaka and Riyadh. 'I welcome you all to the celebration of the 54th anniversary of the independence of Bangladesh,' Hossain said. 'On this momentous occasion, I render homage to the valiant freedom fighters and martyrs who made supreme sacrifice for the independence of the country in 1971.' Over the years, Bangladeshis have transformed an impoverished country into one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, he added. 'We now seek to make a bigger stride toward our dreams. With a vibrant private sector, a huge pool of competent workforce and a sizable domestic market, Bangladesh is now well poised to engage in deeper mutually beneficial cooperation with international partners and friends,' Hossain said. 'The government has undertaken a series of reform initiatives in key sectors to further improve overall governance and the competitiveness of the economy.' The ambassador described relations between Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia as 'excellent,' based on mutual respect, shared values and common aspirations. Though the state-level formal diplomatic relationship was established shortly after Bangladesh's independence, ties between the two peoples dates back centuries, he added. 'Since then, our relationship has witnessed progressive expansion, both in depth and dimension. At the moment, our two nations are in meaningful collaboration in a wide range of areas. Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia enjoy deeper understanding and collaboration on regional and global issues of common interest. We have been working closely in the UN and other multilateral fora including the OIC,' said Hossain. 'I would like to take this opportunity to express our deepest gratitude to King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman for their continued support and goodwill toward Bangladesh. We express our heartiest gratitude to the leadership and the people of Saudi Arabia for hosting about 3 million expatriate Bangladeshis,' he added. The reception was attended by Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al-Sudairy, undersecretary of the Riyadh Region, as well as Abdulmajeed Al-Smari, deputy minister for Protocol Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Hossain said: 'This year, 2025, marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.' He added: 'We look forward to seizing this momentous occasion to take our relationship to new heights and make it more meaningful to the people of both countries. 'There still remains huge potential for mutually beneficial deeper collaboration in numerous areas, particularly in trade and investment, energy, human resources, IT, health, agriculture and climate.'
Arab News
05-02-2025
- Sport
- Arab News
Bangladesh goes into bat for cricket in Saudi Arabia, ambassador says
RIYADH: Bangladesh Ambassador M. Delwar Hossain says that his country is looking forward to working with the Saudi Arabian Cricket Federation and extending all cooperation as the sport's popularity in the Kingdom grows. For the latest updates, follow us @ArabNewsSport The ambassador told Arab News: 'Cricket is an important area developing in Saudi Arabia. The Saudi cricket team is doing well at the Asian Cricket Council events. We are following up the developments, and are in touch with the Saudi Arabian Cricket Federation.' The Saudi cricket team won the ACC Men's Challenger Cup, both the first and the second competition, played in Bangkok, Thailand, in 2023 and 2024. The tournament is a part of the qualification pathway for the Asia Cup. The finalists qualify for the Premier Cup, whose winner goes on to the Asia Cup. Hossain said that his predecessor, ambassador Mohammad Javed Patwary, met SACF Chairman Prince Saud bin Mishal Al-Saud last year, and they had signed an agreement between the Bangladesh and Saudi cricket boards. The SACF chief was also invited to visit Bangladesh to see cricket developments there and decide what kind of cooperation could be extended from the Bangladeshi side. He was a keen supporter, according to the embassy officials who accompanied the previous ambassador during the meeting. 'I am new here, and look forward to meeting the SACF chairman and discussing how we can work together for better cooperation,' Hossain told Arab News. Bangladesh is a good cricket side, currently ranked in the top ten across all formats: Test, ODI and T20 internationals. Many Bangladeshi expatriates play cricket at different clubs in Saudi Arabia. Bangladeshi expatriates have been invited to join matches organized by the SACF with employees of various companies as part of corporate cricket. Recently Bangladeshi international schools have also been engaged in the game — both male and female students — for separate matches organized by the SACF. With the game growing by leaps and bounds in the Kingdom, many developments are taking place. The Red Sea city of Jeddah hosted the TATA IPL mega auction at the Abadi Al-Johar Arena in November 2024, which attracted international cricket stars and the celebrity owners of the IPL franchises. The SACF described the TATA IPL mega auction as 'a historic sporting achievement in Jeddah.' Former Pakistan captain, and one of the great allrounders, Shahid Afridi, was recently in the Kingdom, and met SACF CEO Tariq Ziad Sagga, describing it as an inspiring experience, at King Abdullah University Of Science And Technology (KAUST) Winter Enrichment Program 2025. 'Honored to be invited to the @kaust_news Winter Enrichment Program 2025! Thrilled to champion cricket and sports empowerment alongside our star Olympian @ArshadOlympian1, CEO @Cricketsaudi @tzsagga and GM Iqbal Sikandar. A pleasure engaging with the brilliant faculty, students and community here, alongside @ZafarxMalik, CEO of @SAFoundationN. Together, we continue to drive the spirit of sports forward!,' Afridi posted on X. Pakistani cricketing legends, including Wasim Akram and Shoaib Akhtar, have also been visiting the Kingdom and held meetings with the SACF chairman to discuss the development of cricket and ways to cooperate. Indian cricket legend and former captain Rahul Dravid, head coach of the Indian Premier League team Rajasthan Royals, also attended the NEOM cricket program recently.
