MoU on drug export with Sri Lanka in June

A MoU on exporting drugs to Sri Lanka is expected to be signed next month.

Foreign Minister Abul Hasan Mahmood Ali on Wednesday hoped that Dhaka and Colombo would put pen to paper during the upcoming visit of the Sri Lankan health minister.

Maithreepala Sirisena is expected in Dhaka next month.

The foreign minister said the text of the MoU for exporting pharmaceutical products and surgical equipment had been finalised.

The foreign minister was meeting the outgoing Sri Lankan High Commissioner WA Sarath K Weragoda at his office.

Sri Lanka has long been talking about importing drugs from Bangladesh.

The minister told the ambassador that they would gain “enormously” from Bangladesh’s “quality” and “cheap” drugs.

They discussed also bilateral issues and stressed the need for increased trade.

Currently, the trade volume is $90 million which, according to the foreign ministry, the minister felt did not reflect the “excellent” bilateral relations and the trade potential.

He said Dhaka kept Sri Lanka “on priority list” to allocate a property for their High Commission and requested Sri Lanka to allocate a similar land in Battaramulla area where the capital was going to be shifted soon.

He said an assurance from Sri Lanka in this regard would expedite Dhaka’s decision.

He sought Sri Lanka’s support for Bangladesh’s candidatures for the Human Rights Council for 2015-2017, and International Telecommunication Union for 2015-2018.