Belgium's King considering visit to Bangladesh

Belgium's King Philippe is considering a visit to Bangladesh to see its impressive socio-economic development as the two countries seek to strengthen trade relations.

The King said this when Bangladesh's Ambassador to Belgium Mahbub Hassan Saleh presented his Letters of Credence to him at the Royal Palace in Brussels on Thursday and invited the King and Queen to visit this year as Bangladesh celebrates the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the 50th anniversary of the country's independence.

King Philippe took a great deal of interest in Bangladesh's poverty alleviation, disaster management, infrastructure development and other success stories, and recalled his visit to Bangladesh in his personal capacity in the early 1990s, according to a statement from the Bangladesh Embassy in Belgium.

The King also showed interest in the bilateral trade and investment between the countries.

Ambassador Saleh highlighted the excellent investment opportunities in Bangladesh.

He briefed the King in detail about the Rohingya crisis and thanked him for Belgium's supportive role in this regard in the United Nations Security Council as a non-permanent member during 2019-2020.

The Ambassador said sustained and effective pressure on Myanmar from the international community including Belgium needs to continue for an early repatriation of the 1.1 million forcibly displaced Rohingyas to the Rakhine state in Myanmar.