PM proposes for formation of new regional economic forum

Risingbd Desk: Bangladesh today proposed for formation of a regional economic forum involving five Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member states of South and Southeast Asian region.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina made the proposal during her talks with Brunei Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah at the Istana Nurul Iman, the official residence of the Sultan of Brunei, here this morning.

Briefing reporters after the talks, Foreign Secretary Md Shahidul Haque said the members of the Southeast Asian Cooperation Organisation (SEACO), the proposed regional economic forum, will be Bangladesh and the Maldives from South Asia and Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei from Southeast Asia.

In response to the proposal, the Brunei Sultan assured that he will “favourably consider” the matter, the foreign secretary said.

PM’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim and Speech Writer Nazrul Islam were present at the briefing.

The foreign secretary said issues related to bilateral interests and international concerns including the Rohingya crisis came up for discussions at the talks.

Haque said the prime minister made some more proposals for further strengthening the bilateral ties and cooperation between Bangladesh and Brunei.

He said the prime minister made a proposal for increasing interaction between the business community and conducting a feasibility study for a preferential trade arrangement to this end.

Sheikh Hasina also proposed for holding discussion on constitution of a joint commission between the two countries.

She put emphasis on increasing cooperation in the fields of jute and jute goods, software, agro products, ceramic and tableware, shipbuilding industry and tourism.

The prime minister said the government is setting up industrial parks where the Brunei entrepreneurs could make investment there._BSS.


risingbd/Dhaka/Apr 22, 2019/Asad/Nasim