Ties for development

Though tapping previously unexplored sectors by Bangladesh like gold and diamonds could turn out to be difficult, an impending visit by a high powered body as agreed by both sides during official talks, to find out the ways and areas of prospective cooperation should allay all apprehension. But one sector where Bangladesh can easily make a positive impact is agriculture. Despite having vast acres of lands, the country has food deficit, therefore Sierra Leone's willingness to import low cost technologies and equipment from here to augment their food production where only a fifth of the total lands get used for agriculture could definitely be a big boon for Bangladesh.

One thing which we must take into account here is the opportunity to explore a country, both in its social and economic sector, that has been ravaged by a decade long civil war and where the problems of poverty, tribal rivalry and official corruption that caused the war are still rampant. A country of 5 million people which is seen as the biggest UN peacekeeping success in Africa for many years after debacles in the 1990s in Angola, Rwanda and Somalia, needs help to rebuild itself from the ravages of a civil war. And if Bangladesh can make any contribution, however big or small, to make a change, then it should go at it full steam.

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Bangladesh is already in an advantageous situation. The huge number of Bangladeshi peace keepers as part UN peace keeping mission have already earned the trust and respect of the people of Sierra Leone. Now it's the turn of the Bangladesh government itself to work on that goodwill and forge a new and positive cooperation with this West African country.