35th anniversary of reunificationGerman envoy pledges closer ties with BD

German Ambassador to Bangladesh Rüdiger Lotz has said that bilateral ties between Germany and Bangladesh have deepened since the former’s reunification 36 years ago.

“At a time when democracy has a difficult stand in so many regions of this planet, this will be proof … that government of the people, by the people, for the people will not perish from the earth,” he said.

Marking the 35th anniversary of German reunification, Lotz outlined a vision of stronger trade and investment links, and shared democratic values between Germany and Bangladesh.

Addressing distinguished guests at the Franco-German Embassy, the ambassador began by noting that Germany and Bangladesh have maintained close relations since 1971, with bilateral trade exceeding €9 billion and Germany now ranking as the second-largest export destination for Bangladeshi goods.

He highlighted that more than 20% of Germany’s textile imports are produced in Bangladesh, while German imports of machinery, consumer goods and automotive products are increasingly being sourced from Bangladesh.

The event in Dhaka drew business leaders, diplomats and invited guests — including the Adviser for Social Welfare, Sharmeen Murshid, who attended as chief guest.

The ambassador thanked sponsors of the event — German companies such as Airbus, BASF, DHL Global, Siemens Healthineers and Puma — and praised the local designer, Rokaiya Ahmed Purna, whose work he said showcases the “high‐quality craftsmanship, creativity and potential of Bangladesh”.

On investment, the ambassador said that Bangladesh offers a compelling proposition: strong growth rates, an emerging middle class of around 40 million, a young population and a favourable geo-economic location.

He said one of his goals during his tenure is to attract more German companies to Bangladesh and to see “design in Bangladesh” follow “made in Bangladesh”.

He also called upon Bangladesh to continue reforms and strengthen governance, regulatory clarity and infrastructure to make it easier for foreign investors.

The ambassador reiterated Germany’s support for Bangladesh’s democratic process, stating that the country will hold one of the largest democratic elections in 2026 — involving over 127 million registered voters — and that a successful and credible election would have an impact far beyond Bangladesh’s borders.

He also spoke strongly about shared global challenges, including climate change, humanitarian support (especially for the Rohingya crisis) and sustainable economic development.

He noted that since Bangladesh’s independence, Germany has provided more than €3.5 billion in development cooperation and reaffirmed Germany’s commitment to remain an engaged partner.

Switching to German for a moment, the ambassador addressed the assembled German and Bangladesh-German diaspora, reminding them that unity and peace should never be taken for granted, and that Germany today continues to work to remain democratic, open and economically successful.

He quoted former chancellor Willy Brandt: “Nothing comes by itself and only little is durable…”

In closing, he thanked his Embassy team and all those who helped organise the evening, expressing hope that cultural exchange between the two nations would continue to flourish — noting that already around 7,000 Bangladeshi students are studying in Germany and that institutions such as the Goethe-Institut and DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) are playing important roles.

The event served both as a celebration of Germany’s national day and a platform for reinforcing the Germany-Bangladesh partnership across trade, education, democracy and global co-operation.