As Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy prepares to take the reins from the country’s ruling military junta next month, Bangladesh is looking to see if ties between the two countries can be deepened. “We hope that with the change of government in Myanmar, the situation will improve,” a senior Bangladesh government official said, asking not to be named. The official said Bangladesh had put forward a number of proposals for improving bilateral relations. The government has twice proposed the setting up of RMG factories in Rakhine state that would hire only Myanmar nationals as workers, the official said. “We invited them to sign an agreement on setting up industries in the border areas where Bangladeshi entrepreneurs could invest in Myanmar, and vice versa, but they have not yet responded,” he added. Bangladesh would also like to finance development projects like schools and hospitals, and construct road and bridges in Rakhine state, to improve the quality of life of its residents, the official said. In security and development, Bangladesh has proposed two agreements – one has been agreed by both sides and the other is currently being negotiated. Bangladesh has proposed the setting up of a Border Liaison Office under which the security forces of the two countries will cooperate to manage the international border. “We expect that when it is put in place most border problems will be solved quickly where they arise,” said another official, also asking not to be identified. Dhaka has also proposed a comprehensive agreement on security and development which was positively received, he added. To increase people-to-people contact, Bangladesh has proposed to give scholarships to Myanmar students to study at the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, Dhaka Medical College and Dhaka University. “Dhaka University and Yangon University are expected to sign a memorandum of understanding to further cooperation in higher studies,” the official said.
