PM off to UAE on 3-day trip to boost bilateral ties
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina left Dhaka for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) this morning on a three-day official visit, aiming to further strengthen Bangladesh’s bilateral relations with the oil-rich Gulf nation and increase manpower export.
A VVIP flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines carrying the prime minister and her entourage left Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport around 8:30am and is expected to reach Abu Dhabi International Airport at about 11:30am (UAE time).
The ministers, high civil and military officials saw the premier off at the airport.
During the three-day bilateral UAE tour, the prime minister will have meetings with UAE Mother of the Nation Sheikh Fatima, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi on October 26.
Hasina will also attend a community reception there.
On Monday, she will fly to Dubai to hold a meeting with Vice-President and Prime Minister of UAE and ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
After holding the meeting, the Prime Minister will fly to Ras al-Khaimah (RAK) for holding another meeting with its ruler Sheikh Saud Bin Aaqr Al Qasimi. Before that, she will attend a luncheon to be hosted by the ruler of RAK.
From there, Hasina will again fly to Dubai to catch the homebound VVIP flight of national flag carrier Bangladesh Biman at about 4:45 pm (Local time) and is expected to reach Dhaka at about 11:30pm (local time).
According to foreign ministry sources, over half a dozen agreements and memorandums of understanding on trade, manpower and investment are expected to be signed during the visit.
Sources at the power, energy and mineral resources ministry said Bangladesh is likely seek UAE's cooperation in two projects in the power and energy sector, coal based power development and also for establishing a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal with re-gasification facilities.
The instruments likely to be signed between Bangladesh and the UAE include MoU on foreign office consultation, MoU with a UAE outsourcing company to resume manpower export.
The manpower export in the UAE has slowed down since the UAE government put restrictions on manpower import from Bangladesh in late 2012.
Meanwhile, the cabinet on Monday approved a proposal for signing an agreement between Bangladesh and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), aiming to increase security cooperation between the two countries to control crimes.
Bangladesh exported goods worth $ 245 million in 2013-2014 to the UAE against its import of $843 million. RMG constituted around 78 per cent of Bangladesh’s exports to the UAE.
The UAE is currently the fifth largest investing country in Bangladesh with $2.5 billion total investment in telecommunications, banking, ceramic, chemicals and textiles, according to the Board of Investment (BoI).
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