Dhaka targets rise in investment, trade with Turkey, UAE

Investments in Bangladesh's energy and communications sectors will top the agenda of the upcoming meetings with Turkey and the United Arab Emirates separately.

In the Joint Economic Commission (JEC) meeting with Ankara, due on November 18-19, Bangladesh is going to propose these investments under public-private partnership (PPP).

A delegation, led by Finance Minister AMA Muhith, that left Dhaka yesterday for the Turkish capital will attend the JEC meet to be held after a long gap.

The last JEC meeting with Turkey was held in 1992.

Besides, the JEC meeting with the rich Gulf country, also a long overdue as the last one was held in 1991, will take place in Dubai on November 21-22.

Mainly migration of workers and exports of new products including medicine and jute goods will come up for discussion in the Dubai meet.

Official sources say a bilateral framework for Turkey's investment in Bangladesh has also been prepared for placing before the Ankara meet.

The obstacles in the way of bilateral trade with Turkey will also be reviewed.

Bangladesh will propose that the UAE hire more workers. Enhancing trade between the two countries is another goal of the delegation attending Bangladesh-UAE economic talks.

About 10 lakh Bangladeshis now live in the UAE. However, the recent global recession has led to a drop in manpower exports.

Dhaka will also propose formation of a joint committee to make the MoU, inked between the two countries in 2007, more effective.

Bangladesh will try to validate the stay of the immigrants living in the UAE without valid documents.

A set of proposals on investment in tourism, energy and mineral resources, power and communications will also be placed from Bangladesh side.

Bangladesh also targets having a feedback of the parleys with both Turkey and UAE at Istanbul on the sidelines of the World Bank-IMF meeting.