During the second round of political meetings between the two nations, which took place today in the capital of Saudi Arabia, Dhaka and Riyadh placed emphasis on increasing Saudi investment in Bangladesh.
During the consultation meeting, the delegations of Saudi Arabia’s Prince Faisal bin Farhan and Bangladesh’s Dr. Hasan Mahmud led their respective countries, according to a press release from the foreign ministry.
The main topics of discussion were how to increase Saudi investment in Bangladesh’s special economic zones and how to find ways to deposit Saudi money in Bangladesh’s offshore accounts.
In order to strengthen business relationships between the two countries, both leaders emphasized how important it is to invigorate the Joint Business Council (JBC) between Saudi Arabia and Bangladesh.
The meeting was attended by Saudi officials, as well as the Prime Minister’s Private Industry and Investment Adviser Salman F. Rahman, Bangladesh’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Dr. Mohammad Javed Patwary, Additional Foreign Secretary, Md. Nazrul Islam, Director General (FMO) Md. Arif Nazmul Hasan, and Director General (West Asia) Md. Shafiqur Rahman of the Foreign Ministry.
The two foreign ministers also spoke on Bangladesh’s unique access to Saudi Arabian oil imports.
In his speech, Dr. Hasan thanked Saudi Arabia for hosting and employing around three million Bangladeshis.
There was a fruitful discussion on forming a joint task force to bring more transparency in the export of Bangladeshi manpower to Saudi Arabia and to stop workers’ harassment by vested interests, said the release.
Hasan requested special registration opportunities for Bangladeshi expatriates doing business in Saudi Arabia.
When Bangladesh asked for help in getting the displaced Rohingyas back to Myanmar, the Saudi Foreign Minister promised support.
Additionally, they emphasized how critical it is for the Muslim community to work together to put an end to Israeli aggression in Gaza.
They also talked on the impending visit of Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman to Bangladesh during their amicable one and a half-hour meeting.
A cooperative action plan to commemorate the diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Bangladesh’s golden jubilee in style was also decided upon by the two foreign ministers.
Additionally, the meeting resolved to move the Bangladesh-Saudi Arabia Joint Commission meeting up to the ministerial level.
After the meeting, a luncheon was hosted by the Saudi Foreign Minister in honor of his Bangladeshi counterpart.
