Speeches from the Ambassador

Speech Ambassador at inaugural function of the photography exhibition of Babu Ahmed called “Group Temples of Puthia”on January 10-15 2012 at Dhaka Art Center

News article | January 10, 2012

Ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon. I am very pleased to be here at the inaugural ceremony of the photography exhibition “Group Temples of Puthia”.

I would like to thank Traditional Photo Gallery for organising this exhibition as well as this inaugural program.

Bangladesh is a country blessed with a rich cultural heritage; its culture is a combination of influences of Islam, Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, and Christianity. Its century old buildings and sculptures represent the heritages and traditions of the country.

However, due to lack of maintenance and climatic influences, the archaeological and architectural remnants of Bangladesh are threatened. I would like to thank Mr Babu Ahmed for his excellent photography and initiative to document these historic landmarks of Bangladesh.

Netherlands Contribution

This project “Group Temples of Puthia” is being supported by the Prince Claus Fund. The Prince Claus Fund, which is financed by the Netherlands government, provides support to institutions and individuals worldwide. It aims to promote culture and development in diverse ways, and through different disciplines, such as literature, photography, theatre, dance, cinema, new media, music, visual arts and sports.

The Embassies of the Kingdom of the Netherlands worldwide, in cooperation with the Prince Claus Fund, play an encouraging and supporting role in setting up and promoting cultural exchange.

I would like to take this opportunity to emphasise the longstanding relations between our countries – on a cultural level, but also with regards to political and business ties.

The Netherlands formally established diplomatic relations 40 years ago on 11 February 1972 and since then it has provided support for Bangladesh’s development. The two countries are close partners, working together on a variety of projects and programs.

Bangladesh is one of the priority countries for the Netherlands development cooperation. The main aim of the bilateral programme is to reduce poverty and promote sustainable socio-economic development. The Netherlands embassy supports programs in the field of water management, food security, private sector development, sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR), education, gender environment and governance. The Netherlands Embassy strongly promotes Dutch investments in Bangladesh as well as enhancing the trade volumes between the two countries.

And last but not least, the Netherlands Embassy contributes to platforms for intercultural exchange – because that is what exhibitions like the one we see today are all about: learning about the value of culture, the value of history and the value of knowing each other.

In Bangladesh, the Prince Claus Fund has been supporting various projects since 2001.The Prince Claus Fund advises people, and puts people from different parts of the world in contact with each other. Especially in complex political, economic and social contexts, it helps to create a network of high-quality and innovative artists and organizations.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to conclude my speech by once again thanking Traditional Photo Gallery and Mr Babu Ahmed for their initiative. Historical monuments tell us so much about the past, our cultures, tradition and heritage. We should all work together to safeguard these cultural legacies and preserve these sites for our future generation so that our children and grandchildren can, enjoy these monuments and can learn about the past.

I am very pleased to see so many people here this afternoon. Thank you for your kind attention and I hope you all enjoy the exhibition!