French ambassador sees hope for democratic polls under Yunus’ leadership

French Ambassador to Bangladesh Marie Masdupuy today (13 July) said democracy is about 'liberty, equality, fraternity and inclusivity' and noted that the country is now heading towards truly 'democratic elections' under the 'wise and remarkable' leadership of Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus.

"The road is paved with many obstacles, but courage and determination will no doubt allow removing them," she said while speaking at a reception marking France's National Day.

Food Adviser Ali Imam Majumder attended the reception as the chief guest.

The ambassador said freedom of expression, freedom of assembly and press freedom are also cornerstones on that tortuous path and they must go along with fair justice of course.

"Between 1789 and the consolidation of democracy in France, it took us almost 100 years. I am confident you will achieve it much faster than we did," she said, adding that in the context of the ongoing transition, they understand the need to be patient.

Ambassador Masdupuy said France's main leading objective in relation to Bangladesh remains to see the country gaining more and more strategic autonomy.

She announced that, in the coming months, they will be working towards strengthening bilateral spatial cooperation. "The main goal will be to enhance Bangladesh's sovereign capacity in understanding climate change through satellite data," she added

Masdupuy said some projects are under review as there was too much corruption and fighting against it should indeed be an absolute necessity.

As far as the development projects are concerned, the ambassador hoped they can continue to be implemented for the greater benefit of the population.

She mentioned particularly the water treatment plants in Gandharbpur and Saidabad who will bring potable water to millions of people in Dhaka as well as our contribution to the sewerage system in Chittagong.

Ambassador Masdupuy said France has been in the last 10 years an important development partner of Bangladesh and intends to remain so.

"Our focus on adaptation to climate change is particularly relevant in your country and I am convinced the world would benefit from listening to your locally-grown solutions," she said, adding that together, they can act to promote it in the multilateral forums in order to shift the current financial focus on mitigation in an appropriate and fair manner.

In the cultural field, Ambassador Masdupuy said their activities have been thriving in the last months, as they celebrated the 65th and 60th anniversary of Alliances Françaises in Dhaka and Chittagong.

"More than ever, we have been supporting Bangladeshi artists and bringing French artists to Bangladesh in many different fields like music, theatre, cinema, visual arts etc," she said, noting that the France Bangladesh week last April in Paris was an immense success reaching wide audiences.

Ambassador Masdupuy said their education cooperation is also being strengthened with Bangladesh's public and private universities and they are looking forward to host more Bangladeshi students in France.

Bangladesh is going to graduate soon from the least developed country category.

As a major European actor, the ambassador said France advocates for a fair, mutually-beneficial, rules-based trade.

It is under these principles that Bangladesh benefits from the EU zero-tariff policy since 2001, said Ambassador Masdupuy.

"We also stand ready to support reforms in the sector of education and health. Improving the education system will be of utmost importance to reduce the migratory pressure," she said.

"Indeed, more and more unskilled illegal migrants end up in our country. They wrongly think they will find an Eldorado there but they are in fact confronted with the harsh difficulties of life. We must join our efforts to design a strategy to curb this trend," Ambassador Masdupuy added.

It is important for Bangladesh, given the weight and position, that the country strongly diversifies its partnerships and keep independent decision-making capacity, the ambassador said.

This is more and more relevant given the overall geopolitical context, she said, adding that Bangladesh can become a critical actor in the Indo-Pacific as it increasingly asserts itself.

"It's now time for me to thank the incredible team who with determination and faith has been supporting our activities here in Bangladesh, from the embassy, our school, our Alliances françaises and our development agency.

"A big thank you also to our sponsors without whom this evening wouldn't be so beautiful. And finally special mentions to Intercontinental hotel, our dear partner, Olivier, and to Samiul Alam from Aarong who is our bridge in fashion between France and Bangladesh," she said.

She said 236 years ago, the people of Paris took over the Bastille, a political prison and a symbol of monarchy. This marked a turning point in what has since then been known as the French Revolution.