Time has come to work on institutional strengthening, good governance, and make the systems transparent and accountable for Bangladesh, said Christian Brix Møller, the Danish ambassador to Bangladesh.

He made the remarks at a signing ceremony with the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) in Dhaka today.

Denmark signed a four-year partnership agreement with the CPD aimed at emphasising economic reform and the green transition agenda, specifically through research, dialogue, and policy advocacy.

The Danish ambassador in Dhaka and Fahmida Khatun, executive director of the CPD, signed the agreement, the think tank said in a press release.

Møller said, "This engagement will offer realistic recommendations for policymakers to restore economic stability, bring trust to foreign investors, and identify potential ways to overcome the challenges of the middle-income trap."

"We want Bangladesh to have a strong presence in the global value chain with higher productivity, income diversification, entry into FTAs, and an improved ease of doing business."

He described the CPD as a key player in policy advocacy and said it can step up as a key agent of transformation for the country.

The ambassador added, "The CPD is uniquely positioned to facilitate the country's transformation process as a proven thought leader on socio-economic transformation."

Fahmida said, "We are indebted to Denmark for its support to our institutionalisation. Back in 2019, Denmark contributed to the institutional development of the CPD. Furthermore, the Danish government has been consistently promoting the rule of law and good governance, and the CPD shares the same ambition."

"This partnership is timely as we are going through a transitional period in the country and expect to bring about structural and institutional changes."

"We are hopeful of creating evidence and research that will support the existing reform agenda of the interim government," she added.

The new partnership will ensure stakeholder engagement, capacity development of students and duty bearers, along with policy dialogue over the next four years, to bring long-lasting changes to the country.