Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic Martin Tlapa had a bilateral meeting with the State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh Md. Shahriar Alam. The meeting was held on the sidelines of the 14th Foreign Minister’s Meeting of Asia Europe Meeting (ASEM FMM14) at Madrid, Spain, on December 15-16, 2019. Bangladesh became a member of ASEM in 2012. The ASEM Finance Ministers’ meeting will take place in Dhaka in mid-2020.

ASEM (Asia-Europe Meeting) is an intergovernmental process established in 1996 to foster dialogue and cooperation between Asia and Europe. Presently it comprises 53 partners: 30 European and 21 Asian countries, the European Union and the ASEAN Secretariat. ASEM addresses political, economic, financial, social, cultural, and educational issues of common interest in a spirit of mutual respect and equal partnership. The Czech Republic has been a partner of ASEM since 2004. “At a time when multilateralism is under challenge, the value of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) as a defender of rules-based multilateralism and free and fair trade is more important than ever”, said Czech Deputy Foreign Minister Martin Tlapa. A ministerial meeting was attended by a delegation from India led by the Minister of State for External Affairs Vellamvelly Muraleedharan. India joined ASEM in 2008.

Regular participation at ASEM events allows partner countries to make a number of bilateral meetings in one place at the same time. During the ASEM ministerial session in Madrid the Czech Minister of Foreign Affairs Tomáš Petříček had bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Japan and Laos and briefly spoke also with the Ministers from Singapore, Thailand, and Kazakhstan.

New Agreement between the Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh and the Government of the Czech Republic for the Avoidance of Double Taxation with Respect to Taxes on Income and for the Prevention of Tax Evasion Avoidance has been concluded on Wednesday, December 11, 2019, in Prague. The Agreement was signed by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of the Czech Republic Ms. Alena Schillerová and by Senior Secretary, Internal Resources Division & Chairman, National Board of Revenue, Ministry of Finance, People’s Republic of Bangladesh, Mr. Mohamed Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan. The agreement will enter into force after ratification by both countries.

Czechs and Slovaks celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution. Ambassador of the Czech Republic Milan Hovorka and Ambassador of the Slovak Republic Ivan Lancaric hosted Velvet Street Event in New Delhi on November 21, 2019 to mark the 30th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution which brought about the bloodless overthrow of 42 years of a one-party communist rule in the then Czechoslovakia and saw its return to the community of democratic countries. The Honorary Consul of the Czech Republic in Bangladesh Mr. A.S.M. Mohiuddin Monem also took part in the Velvet Street Event.

Mr. A.S.M. Mohiuddin Monem, Honorary Consul of the Czech Republic, Dhaka, Deputy Managing Director of Abdul Monem Ltd. and Chairman of ServicEngine Ltd., has been honored with the Best Tax Payer Award by the government of Bangladesh for the sixth consecutive year. Mr. Monem has praised this initiative taken by the government and expect the Tax-GDP of the country to reach a standard level in the coming years. He has also encouraged everyone to submit both individual and institutional tax returns to support the government to increase the tax revenue that will lead the country to further development.

The Czech Embassy in Delhi held the Annual Meeting of the Honorary Consuls of the Czech Republic on September 25th, 2019. The meeting which was chaired by Ambassador Milan Hovorka, focused on the ways how to develop and enhance bilateral relations of Czechia with India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka, and on such issues as trade and investment promotion, consular services and cultural exchanges. Speaking on the occasion, Ambassador Hovorka thanked Rashmi Jolly, Honorary Consul in Mumbai, Vishnu Agarwal, Honorary Consul General in Kathmandu, Utsav Parekh, Honorary Consul in Kolkata, Mohiuddin Monem, Honorary Consul in Dhaka, Lohitha Samarawickrema, Honorary Consul in Colombo, C. S. Prakash, Honorary Consul in Bengaluru for their great service and continuous support.

On the occasion of the Czech and Slovak National Days, a joint Reception was organized in New Delhi on September 24, 2019. Honorary Consul Mr. A S M Mohiuddin Monem also present there to celebrate the day.
This was already second remarkable event organized jointly by both the Czech and Slovak Embassies. The last one in October 2018 was dedicated to the 100th anniversary of Czechoslovakia.

Again two cultural groups from Czechia and Slovakia performed at the Reception.

The first group Balet DFXŠ Liberec, which represented Divadlo F. X. Šaldy Liberec Theatre, one of the oldest theatres in the Czech Republic, in the city of Liberec, brought a modern and classical dance. The group performed various dances from their show called “Around the World”, inspired by different countries, places and dancing styles.

The second folklore group Zemplin, celebrating 63 years of their existence, represented a traditional dance and music from Michalovice in the Eastern part of Slovakia. They danced in traditional costumes from the region of Zemplin.

Delicious Indian food, as well as culinary specialties and drinks from Czechia and Slovakia were available.

Great work of all at both the Embassies!

On 1^st September 2019 A.S.M. Mohiuddin Monem, Honorary Consul, Consulate of the Czech Republic, Dhaka and the Chairman and Co-founder of ServicEngine BPO, has been receiving this export trophy for Six consecutive years for ServicEngine’s contribution to the “Vision 2021 of Digital Bangladesh”. Mr. ASM Mohiuddin Monem is the younger son of renowned industrialist Mr. Abdul Monem. He also holds the title of CIP (Commercially Important Person).
The Government of Bangladesh has provided number of enterprises with the National Export Trophy for 2016-17 fiscals in recognition of their respective contribution to the country’s export trade. Honorable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina handed over the trophies and certificates to award winners. The trophies were given in three categories – gold, silver and bronze. There were several important export-oriented sectors participating in the event. ServicEngine won the National Export Gold Trophy for its contribution to the country’s export trade in Computer software.

On 12^th June 2019, Ambassador to Bangladesh based in Delhi H.E. Mr. Milan Hovorka, Honorary Consul Mr. A S M Mohiuddin Monem and members of a high powered business delegation representing the Czech defence and security sector made a curtsey call on Secretary of Defence Mr. Akter Hossain Bhuiyan in Dhaka on February 12th, 2019. “Yet another positive meeting proving the genuine interest of both countries in working together in this important sector,” the Ambassador appreciated both the content and tone of the exchanges.

On 11th June 2019 H.E. Ambassador Mr. Milan Hovorka and Mr. A S M Mohiuddin Monem, Honorary Consul had a curtsy call on with Chief of Air Marshal Masihuzzaman Serniabat, Bangladesh Air Force in his office, Dhaka on to discuss how to enhance the aviation footprint in Bangladesh with the mutually advantageous cooperation between the two countries.

The Czech-Bangladesh Business Forum-2019, co-hosted by the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Delhi and the Honorary Consulate of the Czech Republic in Dhaka, was held in Bangladeshi capital on June 11th, 2019 to explore the possibilities of the two countries’ cooperation in the area of defence industry.

Bangladesh and Czech Republic have significant bilateral and trade relationship and there is scope to further strengthen the ties between the two countries, especially in defense sector. Speakers on Tuesday made this comment at a business forum held at Hotel Intercontinental in the capital. Czech Embassy in New Delhi, and Honorary Consulate of the Czech Republic in Bangladesh jointly organized the business forum specially focusing on tapping defense trade between the two countries. Some prominent companies from both countries participated in the forum and displayed their technologies used in the warfare.