UNB :
A photography book titled “Golden Jubilee of Golden Bengal” was unveiled Sunday, illustrating the longstanding Bangladesh-US ties.
The photo book commemorates Bangladesh’s 50th year of Independence and documents the journey to its many achievements.
It highlights the magnitude of five decades of Bangladesh’s progress in improving health and education, enhancing disaster preparation and response, increasing agricultural productivity, and boosting economic development.
Speaking at the launching event on Sunday, US Ambassador to Bangladesh Earl R Miller said, “This beautiful book is a wonderful reflection of the contributions the US Agency for International Development (USAID) has made to the strong and enduring US-Bangladesh partnership of the past five decades.”
USAID Mission Director Derrick S Brown said, “Bangladesh is a real success story that has made life-changing and life-saving achievements, but don’t just take my word for it. I hope that by publishing this book, the USAID is able to vividly illustrate why Bangladesh – the Golden Bengal – is an example to the world.”
Economic Relation Division Joint Secretary Kabir Ahmed was also present at the event.
The US government, through the USAID, has provided more than $8 billion in assistance to Bangladesh since its independence.
Additionally, the US government has committed $84 million of assistance from multiple agencies to support Covid-19 response efforts.
In 2020 alone, the USAID provided over $200 million to improve the lives of people in Bangladesh through programmes that expand food security and economic opportunity, improve health and education, promote democratic institutions and practices, protect the environment, and increase resilience to climate change, according to the US Embassy in Dhaka.