Transparency and accountability are key words for a democracy

The Daily Star (DS): Your Excellency, you have long experience of working in this country. How would you evaluate Sweden's relationship with Bangladesh since the day your country recognised the People's Republic of Bangladesh?
Britt Hagstrom (BH): I think excellent relationship exists between the two countries, which is based on friendship, mutual understanding and common views on many international issues. These views are based on our common interest in promoting international peace and stability and on our common adherence to the United Nations Charter. You will remember that Sweden was one of the first countries to recognise Bangladesh as an independent state. But the development cooperation had already begun when Bangladesh was East Pakistan.

After the creation of Bangladesh Sweden came forward with humanitarian assistance along with some Swedish NGOs. After initial humanitarian assistance we started development co-operation in the fields of family planning, vocational training and so on.

Sweden believes that in a democratic society there should also be a vibrant civil society and therefore we were also one of the first (if not the first) to support civil society and NGOs (for example Grameen Bank and Brac). We always advocate for ownership (for Government and NGOs) and also advocate for good collaboration between GoB and NGOs. We believe the innovative ideas that have been piloted by NGOs can eventually be taken into the wide fold of government programmes.

In the future Sweden looks forward to working in line with Bangladesh Poverty Reduction Strategy "unlocking the potential," which I think is a very good title for such a document. This becomes more meaningful if you consider the people as an asset. I believe Bangladesh has a great potential.

DS: What are the special areas where Sweden is currently cooperating with the government of Bangladesh?
BH: I can mention education, primary education, health, private sector development, rehabilitation after the flood of 2004 and support to NGOs.

DS: How does Sweden view the endeavour of the people of Bangladesh in upholding the democratic institutions?
BH: I think the people of Bangladesh and the people of Sweden share the views on democratic values and equal rights and opportunities for every human being. Sweden is a country with long history of democracy while the democracy of Bangladesh is still rather young and at the same time the institutions perhaps need to mature. The people of Bangladesh seem to be very well aware of their rights and what democracy is all about.

In your constitution there are provisions for independent "Ombudsman institution". I think such institutions are fundamental to a democracy. I know there are discussions of a Children's Ombudsman and that would be an excellent step to establish such an institution. In Sweden we also have an "Equal Rights Opportunity Ombudsman" and there are many good examples of how such institutions can promote a democratic society and thus promote the development of a country. I also strongly believe in the role of media to uphold a democratic society. Transparency and accountability are key words for a democracy and here the media has an important role to play. Being a journalist can however be a dangerous job and it is important that the working conditions for journalists are safe.

I also know that there are discussions on a human rights commission and now when Bangladesh has been elected as a member of the UN Human Rights Council it could also be good to establish these types of national institutions to further promote democracy.

DS: What is the volume of trade between Sweden and Bangladesh at the moment? Is there any possibility of increasing the volume of trade between the two countries in the near future? Is Sweden ready to buy more local products from Bangladesh?
BH: Trade between Bangladesh and Sweden has developed in a positive way since the independence, albeit from a low level. At the moment trade with Bangladesh accounts for 0.1% both of Sweden's total exports and of our total imports.

In the last few years the export to Bangladesh has increased from 468 million SEK (4,648 million BDT) in 2001 to 1292 million SEK (12,358 million BDT) in 2005 while the import in the same period has gone from 1005 million SEK (9,614 million BDT) to 1,111 million SEK (10,629 million BDT).

Between 2004 and 2005 the export grew by 26% while the import went down by 13%. It is a fact, however, that the registered trade statistics underestimates the import figures as Bangladeshi products intended for the Swedish market are often off-loaded in other countries in the European Union.

About 95% of the import from Bangladesh consists of garments, knitwear and other textiles. Telecommunication apparatus and equipment account for around 70% of the export to Bangladesh. Machinery and other engineering products, paper, wood, ore, iron and steel and chemical products are other important export products.

There are some 50 Swedish or Swedish-related companies represented in Bangladesh by themselves or by local agents.

I am convinced that the Swedish customers are more than willing to buy more if their demands and expectations are met by the Bangladeshi products. In general Swedish people are very keen on good quality and modern design when it comes to garments, knitwear and leather goods and hygienic, safe and healthy products when it comes to food. The price is of course important but not the only criteria. Working conditions and environmental aspects becomes more and more important when the consumers make their choice and the Swedish consumers, as consumers in many other countries, are getting more and more aware and concerned about working conditions in suppliers countries.

DS: I believe Sweden is giving support to the effort of reducing child and maternal mortality in Bangladesh. How do you evaluate the achievements? Will this support continue in the future?
BH: : I have mentioned that Sweden is supporting the health sector in Bangladesh since the independence. And it has always stressed on reduction of high child and maternal mortality in the country.

If I start with the under-five child mortality there are some good programmes in the country. The EPI has become a success story; the coverage of the programme is impressive. Sweden is supporting the EPI through its contribution to HNPSP, the GAVI (global alliance on vaccination and immunisation) and multilateral agencies like UNICEF, WHO. However, there is no room for complacency. This is one world and there are emergence and re-emergence of various diseases that pose threats to the life of a child. So, I believe there is a need for continued and close epidemiological surveillance and programming. Besides, I believe the Government of Bangladesh will further expand the programmes in hard-to-reach areas in the CHT and coastal islands.

High maternal mortality is also a worrying feature in Bangladesh. I have learned that it is being reduced. Still it is higher than any other country in the region. Promotion of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), women's empowerment and male's active involvement could make a real difference. Sweden is supporting the National Menstrual Regulation Programme of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare since long. We consider it an effective programme in GO-NGO collaboration.

In a nutshell, I will say that the international community recognises the achievements in child and maternal mortality reduction in Bangladesh. Sweden wishes to work closely with the Government to assist them achieve the targets of the national PRSP and MDGs, particularly in these areas.

DS: Since you have worked here before in another capacity what changes have you observed in Bangladesh after coming back as the Ambassador?
BH: The population has grown by some 25 million since I left. You can really see it when it comes to all the construction work in Dhaka and how much Dhaka has grown. I did not bring my bicycle this time since the traffic in Gulshan is now the same as in the rest of Dhaka. The traffic situation is much more difficult in spite of the flyovers. The old baby-taxis are gone and there are CNG autos now in Dhaka and the number of new cars and even luxury cars has increased.

I would like to say that a lot of developments have taken place when it comes to the social sectors. When travelling outside Dhaka (which I like to do) you can really see that the number of girls in school has increased tremendously and there are success stories in the area of health as well, which I have already described.

Developments in the communication sector are also something remarkable and the number of cell phones in use and the coverage is also impressive. The development in the area of media is also noticeable, especially the electronic media, which I mentioned before is essential for the development of a democratic society.

As I also mentioned before, I feel that people in general in Bangladesh are more concerned and aware of their rights. I believe that it is the result of having more access to information and also because of a strong civil society.