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Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina undertook the first official visit to Singapore by a Bangladesh head of the government in more than a decade from March 11-14. This indicates her intention to making Bangladesh relations with the city state a priority of her government.
Accompanied by a 70-member high-profile entourage, the Prime Minister (PM) visited Singapore at the invitation by her counterpart Singaporean PM Lee Hsien Loong. She paid a courtesy call on Halimah Yacob, the first female President of Singapore, at Istana, i the official residence and office of the President of Singapore. PM Hasina also visited the Singapore Botanic Gardens where an orchid was named in her honour, as a tradition for highest visiting dignitaries.
Prime Minister Hasina and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong reaffirmed to further strengthening of Bangladesh-Singapore bilateral cooperation and witnessed signing of two important memorandums of understanding (MoUs). The two MoU's are: (a) Public-Private Partnership signed between International Enterprise Singapore and the Public-Private Partnership Authority of the Prime Minister's Office of Bangladesh and (b) Confidential Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) signed between the Bangladesh Civil Aviation Board, and Singapore Civil Aviation Authority to expand passenger and cargo services.
As many as four other new deals were signed at the Bangladesh-Singapore Business Federation Forum. The most important one formalised the partnership between International Enterprise Singapore and the Bangladesh Investment Development Agency (BIDA). Notably, Singapore companies have been receiving one-stop facilities from BIDA since 2017. The deal is expected to boost business cooperation between the two countries.
Bangladesh and Singapore have gradually established an extensive and strong bilateral relationship based on mutual economic security interests for more than forty-five years. Singapore is one of the first few countries to recognise independent Bangladesh in February 1972. The relations that bind the two countries are: goodwill, mutual respect, national security, and prosperity.
Indeed, closer ties between the two countries are expected, because they have a history of ancient links. During the British imperial era of India, Singapore was governed by the colonial administration of Bengal for about 37 years when it was a part of Bengal Presidency during 1830-1867. There is also an emotive tie between Bangladesh and Singapore. One of Bangabandu's idols, Netaji Shuvash Bose rebuilt the Indian National Army (INA) from Singapore.
The relations between Bangladesh and Singapore have broadened and strengthened significantly during the past three decades. This is, mainly because of mutual advantages between the two countries. Trade has rapidly picked up with the total trade increasing from S$ 3.4 billion in 2013 to S$ 4.3 billion in 2017. Singapore now ranks as Bangladesh's second largest trading partner in South East Asia.
Singapore is also Bangladesh's one of the highest sources of foreign direct investment (FDI). Prior to PM Hasina's visit, Singapore's senior minister of state for foreign affairs, Dr. M. Maliki Osman said on March 01: "Singapore contributed to the highest net inflow of FDI to Bangladesh in the past two years". Notably, Sembcorp is one of the largest investors in Bangladesh. Sembcorp has invested more than US$ 1.1 billion in Bangladesh's power plants.
Needless to mention, Singapore's investment is expected to sustain Bangladesh's continued economic development. With a population of more than 161 million, Bangladesh will continue to be a major market in an environment of rather slow and unpredictable global trade.
On the other hand, Singapore's rapid development since the late 1970's depended largely on migrant workers, and Bangladesh workers played an important role, especially in infrastructure, such as shipyard. Bangladesh workers account for about 5.0 per cent of Singapore's total migrant workers. PM Hasina rightly maintained that Singapore continues to be one of the favourite destinations for workers of Bangladesh.
PM Hasina attended the seminar of Bangladesh-Singapore Business Federation Forum, organised by the Singapore Business Federation, as the chief guest. She focused on the economic opportunities available in Bangladesh. In order to inspire Singapore companies to the fast-growing Bangladesh, Hasina declared, "We can give you 500 acres of land or more than that, whatever you want… If you want, we can give you".
Currently, Singapore has a huge trade surplus with Bangladesh. This is, however, expected given the vast difference in their level of development. Singapore with per capita annual income of US$52,600 is one of the richest countries of the world. On the other hand, Bangladesh is still categorised as a least developed country (LDC) with an estimated per capita annual income of US$1, 029 in 2016.
Therefore, instead of getting bogged down in trying to balance trade, the two countries should look and work together at areas of mutual benefits. Bangladesh should be seeking high technology, as well as, management services, and capacity support to improve its governance and economic efficiency as it possibly wants to emulate Singaporean model of economic and political development.
Thus, on the second dayof her visit, (March 12) PM Hasina in her speech, precisely maintained: "Bangladesh and Singapore belong to different levels of development, but we can complement each other in our economic pursuit". She added that "Singapore has the capital, advanced technology and know-how, while Bangladesh can offer a large, young and educated workforce".
But can she accept the challenge and deliver? Is our education system up to scratch to be able to produce world-class educated workforce that Singapore needs? Can our universities and schools match Singapore's standard? Is our public sector as efficient as Singapore?
These are pertinent questions that go beyond two official MoU's that were signed in the presence of the Prime Ministers of the two countries. PM Hasina hopes that the outcome of her visit is likely to "usher in a new era of economic cooperation between the two countries." But that will probably depend much more on our ability to learn from Singapore's experience than on diplomacy or the number of MoU's signed. Therefore, one should probe: What turned a mosquito-infested outpost, which used to be once governed from Bengal, into a highly developed nation within a generation? What lessons of governance can we learn from Singapore's spectacular success? Here lies the significance of Prime Minister Hasina's visit.
Dr. Kamal Uddin Ahmed is a former Professor and Chairman, Department of Political Science, University of Dhaka and author of the book, Bangladesh and Its Neighbours, (Asiatic Society of Bangladesh, 2008).