The Prime Minister of Senegal Ousmane Sonko warmly welcomed Shama Obaed Islam, MP, State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh and conveyed his deep appreciation for Bangladesh’s active participation in the “Dakar International Forum on Peace and Security in Africa” on 20 April 2026. The State Minister, in turn, expressed gratitude to the Government of Senegal for the invitation to this important forum and for the opportunity to engage in meaningful dialogue on shared global and regional challenges.
During the meeting, Prime Minister Sonko commended the successful democratic process in Bangladesh and reaffirmed his Government’s strong commitment to further strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries. Both the Prime Minister and the State Minister recalled with appreciation the historic visit of President Ziaur Rahman in 1981, accompanied by Begum Khaleda Zia, noting how the visit laid an important foundation for consolidating friendly ties between Bangladesh and Senegal.
The Senegalese Prime Minister expressed his Government’s keen interest in expanding cooperation in trade, economic development, sports and culture. Both leaders emphasized the importance of deepening people-to-people contacts as well as fostering stronger business-to-business linkages to unlock the full potential of the relationship. The State Minister underscored the need for holding regular Foreign Office Consultations, an initiative undertaken by Bangladesh, as a key mechanism to further institutionalize and advance bilateral engagement.
The State Minister also conveyed the invitation of the Hon’ble Prime Minister of Bangladesh to Prime Minister Sonko to undertake an official visit to Bangladesh. The Senegalese Prime Minister thanked her for the invitation and graciously accepted it, agreeing to visit Bangladesh at a mutually convenient time.
Sadia Faizunnesa, Bangladesh’s Ambassador to Morocco and Ambassador-designate to Senegal, accompanied the State Minister during the meeting.
The State Minister is on a three-day official visit to Dakar, where she is leading the Bangladesh delegation at the Dakar International Forum.
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