Farewell Remark
Excellencies, respected dignitaries from Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, Ambassadors and high officials of KDS, distinguished guests, participants, ladies and gentlemen. Good evening to you all. It is indeed a great honor and privilege for me to speak a few words on behalf of the participants of SAARC countries amidst this august gathering. First, let me take this opportunity to express my heartfelt thanks to the Government of Korea for financing and organizing this brilliant tailor-made Special Training Program on Economic Development Strategy for SAARC through KOICA and KDS. It has provided us with a platform to exchange our views, share information, experiences, lessons and ideas regarding the issue.
I still remember vividly the first day of our arrival at the ICC. It was a chilly and windy morning. We all had mixed feelings filled with anxiety revolving around the training program. As the days progressed, we overcame that situation. The program coordinators played a crucial role in this regard.
To me, this training has been able to achieve its objectives. The goals of the training were clearly defined and the topics covered were pertinent. All the presentations and discussions made during the entire course were informative and enlightening. The resource person’s deliberations were outstanding and vibrant. We are now more well-informed and sensitized to the relevant topics.
Seeing is believing. Despite busy schedule, we had the opportunity to visit the landmarks of Seoul city and various places of historical and religious interest as well. We enjoyed shopping in the downtown markets. We were spellbound by the scintillating performance of Nanta cultural troupe. It was truly entertaining. We were also captivated by the scenic beauty of the countryside on our way to Ulsan. The fabulous cherry blossoms, daffodils, tulips and apricot flowers reminded us of the early spring in Korea. Our guide, Ms. Smile, always kept us cheerful and smiling by her sense of wit and humor. These sight-seeing tours gave us a scope to socialize with each other and become friendly.
In addition, KOICA and KDS arranged a number of study visits and field trips as a part of the training program. We were fascinated to see the state of the art technologies used by Hyundai in the fields of ship building and automobile, as well as state of the art technologies by POSCO in the steel industry. The study visits, field trips and cultural excursions enabled us to get acquainted with the Korean economy, technology and culture. We will always remember our comfortable stay in the luxurious Hilton Hotel.
When it comes to food, we relished the delectable Korean authentic cuisine such as Kimchi, Bulgogi and Bibimbap. Besides, we enjoyed the buffet lunch and dinner which offered us a wide array of delicious foods in various restaurants, hotels and also in the cafeteria.
We are at the fag end of our training program. Tomorrow, we will depart. But the fellowship we have fostered here in ICC will go a long way. I would like to thank everyone in the ICC from the front desk to housekeeping and cafeteria for assisting us from different aspects. Last but not the least; Ms. Kate, Ms. Esoul Moon Program Assistant and Sun-young Whang Program Officer of KDS deserves special thanks for providing us all out support and also by looking after every nitty gritties of our problems with utmost sincerity.
In fine, this training has enabled us to learn fairly good lessons from the Korean experience and success stories. It has broadened our mental horizon, changed our mindset and will serve as an eye opener. Resources are limited, creativity is unlimited. With the "Can Do Spirit" and the "Pali Pali" culture, the dynamic people of Korea has been able to transform their country into one of the most flourishing countries of Asia in terms of economic development within a short span of time. It can be a glaring example for us.
Now it’s time to say good bye. Thank you all. Kam-sa-ham-nida.
Leader of SAARC Team, Mohammad Navid Safiullah
Deputy Secretary, Planning Division, Ministry of Planning, Bangladesh
SAARC Special Training Program - Economic Development Strategy – 2nd Year Program
April 6 (Fri), 2012 (18:30, Garden Kitchen Buffet, Riverside Hotel, Seoul)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This Farewell Remark has been made on the occasion of the Farewell Dinner, and this script has been published with the approval of Mr. Safiullah.
