On Sunday (7 September 2025), the Embassy of Brazil in Bangladesh hosted a reception at Hotel Le Meridien, Dhaka, to celebrate the 203rd Independence Day of Brazil. The event was hosted by Brazilian Ambassador to Bangladesh Paulo Fernando Dias Feres and attended by ambassadors, high commissioners, diplomats, senior government officials, business leaders, media representatives and members of civil society.
The Chief Guest at the reception was Ms. Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Adviser to the Ministries of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and Water Resources of Bangladesh.
In his remarks, Ambassador Paulo Fernando Dias Feres thanked all guests for joining the celebration. He invited Adviser Rizwana Hasan to take part in the global climate negotiations at the upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) to be held in Belém, Brazil. He also praised the “Made in Bangladesh Exhibition-2025” recently held in São Paulo — the first such trade fair in Brazil — which he said had strengthened bilateral ties between the two countries.
Adviser Rizwana Hasan in her speech said Brazil would play a key role in advancing global climate discussions at COP30 and Bangladesh is ready to work closely with Brazil toward ambitious but inclusive outcomes. She noted Bangladesh’s interest in exploring the use of the carbon market (Article 6) to support mangrove conservation in the Sundarbans but stressed that carbon markets must not substitute for climate finance commitments and that proper safeguards are essential to ensure environmental integrity and fairness.
Highlighting trade relations, she said Brazil is currently Bangladesh’s largest trading partner in Latin America with about US $3 billion in transactions in 2024. She called for greater market access for Bangladeshi garments using Brazilian cotton, withdrawal of anti-dumping duties on jute products, simplification of pharmaceutical registration procedures and increased joint investment. She welcomed Brazil’s recent approval of a Bangladeshi pharmaceutical company as a positive step.
On behalf of the Government and people of Bangladesh, she extended warm greetings to the Government and people of Brazil, describing the 7 September 1822 independence of Brazil as a landmark event in world history. She lauded Brazil’s leadership on democracy, equality, climate initiatives and multilateralism.
The Adviser recalled that on 15 May 1972 Brazil was among the first South American countries to recognise Bangladesh. She cited recent high-level engagements such as the April 2024 visit to Dhaka by Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira, Bangladesh’s participation in the G-20 Women’s Empowerment Conference in Brazil, and the visit to Bangladesh by Brazil’s Chief Justice Antonio Herman Benjamin as reflections of the two countries’ growing partnership and shared commitment to environmental protection.
She said under the leadership of Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus, the Government of Bangladesh is taking reform measures to strengthen inclusive governance, rule of law and accountability. She praised Brazil’s support for Bangladesh’s democratic aspirations and called Brazil an inspiring partner in justice and equity.
She further informed that four Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) in agriculture, defence, health and sports have been finalised, while discussions are progressing on 11 other areas including information technology, disaster management and trade dialogue. Bangladesh wants to learn from Brazil’s expertise in energy and sustainable agriculture and share its own experience in disaster risk reduction and community resilience.
The Adviser highlighted the traditional bonds between the peoples of Bangladesh and Brazil, symbolised by Bangladeshis’ deep passion for Brazilian football. She reaffirmed Bangladesh’s commitment to advancing bilateral cooperation in trade, democracy, climate action and culture, ending her speech with the words: “May the Bangladesh–Brazil friendship remain unbreakable.”
