Int'l conference begins today

A three-day international conference titled the 'Bay of Bengal Conversation 2024' begins at a city hotel today (Saturday), aiming to strengthen diplomatic relations in the Indo-Pacific region.
Dr Muhammad Yunus, chief adviser to the interim government, will deliver the inaugural speech at the event organised by the Center for Governance Studies (CGS), a Dhaka-based non-profit research institute.
CGS executive director Zillur Rahman made the announcement at a press conference in a city hotel on Friday.
Over 200 discussants and 800 participants from 80 countries are joining the event being held for the third time.
Talking to reporters, Mr Rahman said the conference on geopolitics is a platform to facilitate non-state actors' diplomacy among the countries in the Indo-Pacific region. The theme of the 'Bay of Bengal Conversation (BOBC) this year is 'A Fractured World'.
The conference is expected to focus on identifying issues that are considered threats to peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.
The CGS partners include the USAID, UN Bangladesh, UNDP, The Asia Foundation, Australian High Commission Bangladesh, Canadian High Commission Bangladesh, Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, Air Asia and various corporate organisations from home and abroad.
Mr Rahman also said Chief Adviser Dr Yunus will be present as the inaugural speaker of the conference.
"His perspective will add new dimensions to the significant and impactful discussions for three days."
The previous government tried to foil organizing the conference, unlike this year as it is getting a lot of patronisation.
"This is our third year and it is going to be our biggest event yet," he said, adding that more than 200 speakers, 300 delegates and 800 participants from more than 80 countries around the world are joining the event.
He further said the major event will establish a platform to explore cross-border challenges ranging from democracy, human rights, climate change to economic development, security, and technological transformation.
CGS chairman Munira Khan said they want to raise voice and discuss global issues, including democracy, peace and human rights.
"The agenda of this conference is for the people, not for any political party," she said.
"This conference aims to talk about people, democracy, human rights, elections, poverty worldwide," she added.

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