Dhaka – France wants to help Bangladesh by providing technical support to explore and exploit the potentiality of blue economy.Blue economy means the use of the sea and its resources for sustainable economic development.
The Embassy of France in Bangladesh and Blue Economy cell of Bangladesh has jointly organised the workshop titled “Harnessing the potential of blue economy”, which was held at the Ismaili Jamatkhana and Center (IJKC) in the capital yesterday.
Addressing at the event, Ambassador of France to Bangladesh Sophie Aubert said, “We will focus on blue economy in order to highlight its potential and discuss how to know more about it and how to exploit this potential in Bangladesh”
She also added, “In the coming years, we should consider very seriously about the maritime revolution, which has already started”
However, Seas and oceans are the new frontiers, the new environment to explore for the development of our societies, because they are at the intersection of all the economic sectors, she further explained.
Commodore Abdullah Al Mamun Chowdhury, ndc, psc, Blue Economy Cell presented a keynote paper and said blue economy can play an important in poverty alleviation, food security and combating climate change and also said that Bay of Bengal will soon be the hub of economic development prosperity.
Mamun also said that energy and minerals, fishery and aquaculture and tourism, these three sectors will get priority in the blue economy cell.
The keynote speaker also explained the challenges and said, “We are still incapable of doing deep sea fishing because we don’t have adequate equipment to do that”
When asked Mamun told journalists “We need to purchase a ship which is equipped with modern technology to do geological survey into the deep coastal area of the ocean and the government has planned to have a discussion with the officials of Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company Limited (BAPEX) about the purchase of the ship”,
Eminent guests and high officials were present at the workshop. – Staff Reporter
