Dubai: Bangladesh will set up a cultural centre in Dubai to strengthen bilateral relations with the UAE and the Arab world, a top official said on Thursday.

Dhaka is also planning to extend the voting infrastructure to allow more than eight million non-resident Bangladeshis (NRBs) spread across five continents to vote in general elections. Nearly half of them live in the Middle East.

"We are planning to set up a number of cultural centres in key cities as Dubai, New York, London, and New Delhi," Abul Kalam Azad, Bangladesh Minister for Information and Culture told Gulf News.

"We are also developing our archaeological, historic and religious sites for the promotion of tourism and cultural understanding that will portray our rich cultural heritage. The centre will help develop that understanding among the Arab citizens with whom we share Islamic culture."

He is leading a 20-member cultural delegation to the UAE as part of the Bangladesh community's celebration of the 40th Victory and National Day that spans across three days in the country.

Vision 2021

Paying rich tribute to the UAE leadership, the Minister said, "The new centre will help us to promote more cultural exchanges between the two countries. Both countries share rich Islamic heritage and we would like to strengthen that.

"This is part of our overall development strategy under the Vision 2021 launched by Prime Minister Shaikh Hasina to develop the country to the next stage."

The UAE is home to nearly a million non-resident Bangladeshis who remitted $1.89 billion (Dh6.6 billion) in last fiscal year ending June 30, 2010. The UAE is Bangladesh's second biggest source of wage earners' remittances, after Saudi Arabia.

Bangladesh, which was born 14 days after the UAE in December 16, 1971, began diplomatic relations in 1974 with a historic visit by Bangabandhu Shaikh Mujibur Rahman, Bangladesh's founder. In a statement to Bangladeshi expatriates, Dr Dipu Moni, Foreign Minister said, "I am particularly mindful of the valuable contributions of Bengali expatriates. They are our goodwill ambassadors abroad and I urge them also to remain committed to Vision 2021."

In Abu Dhabi, Bangladesh Ambassador Mohammad Nazmul Quanine called on his countrymen to work to develop the country.

He said as Bangladesh moves towards its visions of becoming ‘digital' by 2021, celebrations that mark national achievements are especially important because they remind Bangladeshis on foreign soil of the country's goals.

"More than 700,000 Bangladeshis work in the UAE, and this is a day which reminds them of the country's development goals," he said.

The ambassador was speaking at embassy celebrations on the occasion of Victory Day, which commemorates the country's independence from Pakistan following a nine-month war which took place 39 years ago.

Consulate building

Adnan Saffarini has been assigned to design the new consulate building in Bur Dubai, Consul General Mohammad Abu Zafar said.

"If things progress well, the new building should be ready by mid-2012," he said.

The project will house a multi-purpose hall with seating capacity of 400 people that will help the members of the large community to host fuctions.

Zafar said, the construction of the new consulate building will fulfil a long-standing desire of the community — one of the largest in the UAE."