UAE keen to strengthen ties with Bangladesh: PM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said leaders of the United Arab Emirates expressed interest in import of manpower from Bangladesh and expand areas of cooperation.

Senior Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 30 Oct 2014, 04:39 PM
Updated : 30 Oct 2014, 05:56 PM

She told a press conference at Ganabhaban on Thursday that her visit to the Emirates had been successful.

“I had a constructive discussion with leaders of the UAE on various bilateral, regional and international issues.”

The visit raised new hope for opening up of UAE’s labour market to Bangladeshis and created opportunities for the two countries to work together in many issues, she said.

Hasina toured the Gulf kingdom for three days from Oct 25 at the invitation of Vice-President and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum.

She said the two countries agreed to explore opportunities to identify new areas of cooperation and strengthen cooperation in trade, investment, higher education, tourism, infrastructure development, culture, energy, climate change and ocean-based blue economy.

According to her, bilateral relations started to expand to new areas, not being “confined only to manpower export”.

The prime minister said the issues on which the two sides reached consensus during her meetings with the top UAE leaders had been reflected in the joint statement.

The two countries signed agreements on extradition of convicted criminals and export of women workers during Hasina’s maiden visit to the Emirates after she assumed office for the second consecutive term.

Dubai-based world’s leading seaport management company Dubai Port World Chairman Sultan Bin Ahmed Sulayem had met the prime minister at her hotel suite.

Hasina told the press conference: “I discussed with DP World chairman the plan to construct a deep-sea port at Payra in Patuakhali and invited him to invest there.”

She informed Sulayem of Bangladesh’s decision to construct a marine driveway from Mirsarai in Chittagong to Teknaf of Cox's Bazar on its own financing.

The prime minister said UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan had assured her of simplifying the process to recruit Bangladeshi manpower.

The Emirates will appoint a labour attaché at its embassy in Dhaka to this end in early next year, she added.