Singapore keen to build city on Dhaka outskirts

Singapore has offered to build a self-sufficient city on the outskirts of Dhaka.

The visiting Singapore Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Home Affairs Masagos Zulkifli Bin Masagos Mohamad made the proposal on behalf of the entrepreneurs during a meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her office on Tuesday.

"Singapore wants to build a power plant in Bangladesh and a self-sufficient modern city near Purbachal," Press Secretary AKM Shamim Chowdhury told reporters later.

Singaporean entrepreneurs want to take up the project either on their own or as a joint venture, he said.

According to Chowdhury, the prime minister said Bangladesh was prepared to provide an economic zone in Chittagong's Mirsarai to help them invest without any problem.

Hasina asked for Singapore's assistance in training up Bangladeshi youths in different sectors including tourism.

The Singapore minister briefed Sheikh Hasina on their economic development.

She emphasised improving Bangladesh's relations with Singapore for further development and hoped Singaporean entrepreneurs would play an important role.

Masagos Zulkifli praised the efficiency of Bangladeshi labours working in his country.

The prime minister's adviser Gowher Rizvi, Housing and Public Works Minister Engineer Mosharraf Hossain, Principal Secretary Abdus Sobhan Sikder and the Singaporean ambassador in Bangladesh were present at the meeting as well.