Your Excellency Honourable Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President of the Republic

of Turkey and Chairman of D-8,

Your Excellencies the Honourable Heads of State, Government, Guests of

Honour and Delegation, 

Excellencies the Foreign Ministers, the Secretary General &

Distinguished Guests, Ladies and gentlemen, 

Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahe wa Barkatuhu and a very Good Morning 

Let me convey, on behalf of Bangladesh ·leadership and on my own, the warmest felicitations to you on your assumption of the chairmanship of D-8. It’s a historic moment for Turkey as, after a full cycle, the chairmanship returns to the country where the D-8 concept originated and as, the Organisation enters a new phase. While wishing you every success in efforts to materialize our shared vision we assure you of our full cooperation during your D-8 leadership. I also thank you and your government for the excellent arrangements of the Summit and warm hospitality extended to me and my delegation. I extend our sincere thanks to the government of Pakistan for their able stewardship of D-8 cooperation for more than four years. I thank the outgoing Secretary General Dr. Seyed Ali-Mohammad Mousavi for his dedicated efforts and services and welcome the incoming Secretary General Datuk Ku Zaafar Ku Shaari. On a personal note, I fondly recall the opportunity when I had the opportunity to be in the ceremony of your assumption of the highest office in 2014. We are impressed to see the continued spectacular growth and development under your strong leadership despite challenges and hurdles. 

Mr. Chairman, 

As I speak at this Summit, I particularly recall when the founding leaders of eight populous Muslim countrles including. Horrble Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina adopted the Istanbul Declaration .1997 and launched the Organization. As a co-founder of D-8, she. holds: it close to her heart and wishes it an success. We also recall with gratitude the contribution of the then Prime Minister of Turkey Professor Necmettin Erbakan for conceptualizing and initiating D–8. The philosophy behind D-8 was simple and clear – economic development and integration brings in 

prosperity for the peoples and results in greater understanding and solidarity with political concert. 

D-8 has consolidated its legal and institutional foundation by now. But the visibility and economic impact that it was expected to make, still remains to be achieved. It is therefore, time the member states redoubled their efforts and the Organisation entered the phase of concrete initiatives and projects for tangible outcome through intensified cooperation, Twenty years on, D-.8 citizenry are looking at this Summit with great expectations hoping that its outcome documents would set the stage for future course of action with predictable policies, practicable plan and result based 

initiatives for their socio-economic well-being. There is certainly a need for stocktaking of D-8 work to see what hindered its progress. A perspective shift in approach is surely needed to better nurture the sapling that our founding leaders planted if we indeed expect D-8 to be morphed into what was envisioned. 

Since trade and investment are at the core of D-8 cooperation and driving force for our economic development, their expansion remains crucial to our efforts for sustainable development as we pursue :2030 development agenda. D-8 preferential trade agreement-PTA is certainly a good development that Bangladesh, as an’ LDC, Wishes to join With special and differential treatment as an LDC. While ratifying the PTA for the purpose, Bangladesh feels that PTA requires deeper concessions on a wide basket of tradable. The same is true about bold intra-D-8 investment in

private, PPP and other conceivable formats. 

Our cooperation, Mr. Chairman, must deepen in other priority areas as well. Agriculture is vitally important as our food security, growth and employment depend heavily on it. Need for food security prompts us to go for food reserve, seed bank, gene bank, animal feed” fertilizers and

innovative technology as well as to explore new frontiers of blue economy addressing issues of sustainability, post … harvest losses and wastage. We underscore the need for R&D, introduction and application of science, technology and innovations-STI in our industrialization and services sectors since STI with technology transfer can act as a game changer in our development process. 

Ladies and gentlemen, 

D-8 has no limit to its functions as long as they relate to economic cooperation. D'”8’s hopes principally lie in the private sector. We must find and offer ways and opportunities to private sector especially, the SMEs for their greater role and involvement in joint projects under innovative

models. In order to undertake D-8 projects, development fund is critical.

Multilateral and international financial and banking sources have also to be explored. 

I would also stress the need for the Secretary General to continue to pursue technological, technical and financial cooperation for member states through D-8’s external relations. Our strengths lie in our steady economic growth, huge youth population, a burgeoning middle class increasingly getting confident about its future, a large internal market working both as a manufacturing hub 

and a consumer base and a common culture. We must exploit these. We may prove D-8 a stabilizing factor in the volatile global economy. We need to craft a mechanism for regular interaction with the G-20so that our perspective on issues of our concern is well presented and heard. 

Holding the Summit on regular basis is seminal to sustain its visibility and generate momentum for joint action. Bangladesh would take its turn after Turkey. 

D-8 has every possibility of becoming the driving force of OIC with a billion plus people. Developing human resources out of this huge population and using strategic resources and complementarities of the member economies, we could take it to a position of influence Jn the global economy, ending centuries of our economic subservience. The· advantage that D-8 does not have politics to discuss but only economic positives to build on has to be taken in full 

Before I conclude, I must take this opportunity to express our deep appreciation to the leadership of Turkey particularly the bold personal role played by Your Excellency Mr. President in addressing the existential crisis. faced by the world’s most persecuted rnlnorltv in Myanmar. As described by many, this is ‘textbook example of ethnic cleansing’. The Hon’ble Prime Minister of Bangladesh and her Government have set a glaring example of humanity by opening hearts and borders for this dispossessed community. For a lasting solution to their problem she has presented with a widely hailed five point formula in the UNGA (ending violence and ethnic cleansing; fact finding mission of UN to Myanmar; protection of civilians and creation of safe zones in Myanmar under UN supervision; sustainable return of all displaced Rohingyas to their homes in Myanmar; full implementation of Annan Commission report) Based on that we have handed over a draft agreement to Myanmar but have not heard from them since. 

Mr. President, due to your initiatives and forceful drives as OIC Chair the attention of not only the OIC family but also of the international community was drawn to the dire straits of nearly a miHion Rohingyas sheltered in Bangladesh. We are thankful to our D-8 brothers and sisters for your continued and unwavering support in the OIC, UN and other relevant fora for the rights and sustainable repatriation of the forcefully displaced Myanmar nationals to their homeland in Rakhine. While noting the rounds of negotiations held in the- UN Security Council of the crisis, let me seek your sustained support for an action .oriented resolution from the Security Council. 

Thank you Mr. Chairman and thank you all cholk tesekkurlar ederim.