Diplomatic Desk:
Australian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Ms Susan Ryle paid a courtesy call on Opposition Leader of the Bangladesh National Parliament Md. Shafiqur Rahman.
The meeting, held at the office of the Opposition Leader at the Parliament House on Monday (June 15, 2026), resulted in fruitful discussions on various issues of mutual interest between Bangladesh and Australia.
The meeting was attended by Ms Anna Peterson, First Secretary of the Australian High Commission, and Mr Harry Thompson.
The meeting discussed the upcoming visit of the Opposition Leader to Australia, the role of the government and the opposition in making democracy more meaningful in the post-election period, and various ways to strengthen parliamentary democracy.
It was expressed that democracy cannot be effective and vibrant without the active participation of the opposition. Both sides also exchanged views on the announced national budget and the shadow budget proposed by the opposition.
The meeting also discussed in detail a sustainable solution to the Rohingya crisis and improving Bangladesh’s economic prospects. In particular, the issue of developing the energy sector received special importance in the meeting.
At one stage of the discussion, the Leader of the Opposition expressed optimism about the possible cooperation of the Australian government in implementing the skills development program in Bangladesh. The Australian High Commissioner praised the constructive role of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami in the parliament. The two sides also discussed various ways to further advance issues of mutual bilateral interest in the future.
The meeting was attended by the Leader of the Opposition’s Foreign Affairs Advisor Barrister Mir Ahmed Bin Quasem Arman, MP; Reserved Women’s Seat Members of Parliament Nurunnisa Siddique, MP and Mardia Momtaz, MP; and Ali Ahmed Mabrur, a member of the party’s Foreign Affairs Advisory Team.
