She also requested the UAE government to take more manpower from Bangladesh and import Bangladeshi goods including medicines, leather and leather products, and jute and jute goods.

Khaleda's call came when visiting UAE Education Minister and Dhabi Group Chairman Shaikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan made a courtesy call on her at the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) in the afternoon.

Responding to the prime minister, Shaikh Nahayan showed keen interest to invest in Bangladesh.

According to an official, Dhabi Group currently wants to invest $2 billion in Bangladesh in various sectors, including telecommunication, tourism and pharmaceuticals.

At present, nearly 400,000 Bangladeshis of various professions are working in the UAE.

Appreciating Bangladesh's development and progress in a number of sectors, particularly in women education and empowerment, health and other social sectors, Shaikh Nahayan said they want to become a partner of development and progress in Bangladesh.

He praised the leadership of Prime Minister Khaleda, saying that the culture of change and development under her able leadership in Bangladesh has been encouraging to the foreign investors to invest here.

Both the prime minister and the UAE education minister expressed firm determination to renew the "historical" relations between the two countries and stressed on exchange of top level visits.

They also expressed identical views on investment in both private and public sectors between the two countries.

The prime minister invited the UAE president to visit Bangladesh and conveyed her best wishes through the education minister.

UAE Ambassador in Dhaka Sayed Mohammad Sultan Al-Zaabi and Dhabi Group Chief Executive Officer Bashir M Tahir accompanied the Dhabi Group chairman. Advsior to the Energy and Mineral Resources Division and Executive Chairman of BoI Mahmudur Rahman was also present at the meeting.