Diplomatic Correspondent

Canada’s Deputy Minister of International Development, Christopher MacLennan, arrived in Bangladesh Saturday evening for a two-day visit to hold discussion with high government officials and others to strengthen Canada’s partnerships.

The Deputy Minister will meet with officials and development partners to discuss Canada’s evolving international assistance in the context of Bangladesh’s graduation from Least Developed Country status in 2026 and opportunities to leverage Canada's Indo-Pacific Strategy in Bangladesh.

He will also have discussions about the ongoing response to the Rohingya refugee crisis and the situation at the border.

The visit will be a chance to strengthen Canada’s partnerships with some of Bangladesh’s world-class non-governmental and research organisations.

Since January 2022, Christopher MacLennan has been Deputy Minister of International Development, leading the international assistance and humanitarian response mandate of the Government of Canada.

He is also the personal representative of the prime minister for the G20 Summit since 2020.

Prior to his current role, MacLennan was the Associate Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs where he supported the Deputy Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Previously, As Assistant Deputy Minister (ADM) at Global Affairs Canada, MacLennan led Canada’s international development assistance efforts through multilateral and global partners, humanitarian assistance and priority foreign policy relationships with the United Nations, the Commonwealth and La Francophonie.

In addition to this role, he served concurrently as Canada’s G7 foreign affairs sous-sherpa.

MacLennan has also served in a number of roles in Canada’s Privy Council Office (Cabinet Office) including acting Assistant Secretary for priorities and planning and ADM of policy innovation.

Before this, MacLennan occupied numerous executive roles in the former Canadian International Development Agency, focusing largely on global health, democratic governance and food security.

MacLennan holds a PhD from Western University specialising in constitutional development and international human rights. From 2012 to 2013, he was Fulbright Visiting Scholar at Stanford University’s Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law.