Thanking AIT for hosting the program, the Minister also spoke of the
vision of the Bangladesh government of transforming traditional
bureaucracy into an interactive and pro-people civil service. She
outlined the emerging development scenario in Bangladesh stating that
the country aims to achieve a higher per capita income, an improved
standard of living, better education, social justice, sustainability,
and resilience against climate change and natural disasters.
The Minister was introduced by H.E. Saida Muna Tasneem, Ambassador of
Bangladesh to Thailand, who highlighted the role played by the minister
and her family in the independence struggle of Bangladesh. She added
that Bangladesh is the top country in sending its civil servants to AIT
for international training courses. Describing AIT Extension as the
fourth pillar of AIT, the Ambassador added that as the Chair of the
Fundraising Committee for AIT, she has pushed for a Chair Professorship
from Bangladesh for AIT. This proposal has been approved by the
Bangladesh Prime Minister, the Ambassador added — an achievement which earned praise from the
visiting Minister.
AIT’s Vice President for Resource Development, Prof. Kazuo Yamamoto,
highlighted the close collaboration of the Bangladesh Ministry of
Public Administration as he recounted the institutional linkages
between the two. He mentioned that 12 per cent of participants in short
term training programs at AIT and six percent of graduates have come
from Bangladesh. Prof. Yamamoto also quoted the Professional Master’s
Program in Banking and Finance as another example of cooperation
between AIT and the Bangladesh Bank.
Executive Director of AIT Extension, Dr. Jonathan Shaw, who was the
Master of Ceremonies for the event, expressed AIT’s gratitude to the
Minister for agreeing to inaugurate the program at AIT. “We are deeply
honored that you have chosen to attend the inaugural ceremony,” Dr.
Shaw remarked. The program, which is coordinated by Voravate Chonlasin,
Head, Public Sector Capacity Building, AIT Extension, has 36 senior
officials from various ministries, government agencies and the Prime
Minister’s office participating in the capacity building course.
