Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has called upon the Uzbek entrepreneurs to set up agri machinery and transport-manufacturing industries in Bangladesh assuring all-out government support to this end, reports BSS.
The Prime Minister came up with the request when the visiting Uzbek Minister for Foreign Economic Relations and Trade & Investment Elyor Majidovic Ganiev paid a courtesy call on her at her office on Thursday.
After the meeting, PM's Deputy Press Secretary Bijal Lal Deb briefed reporters.
The Prime Minister said Bangladesh is developing its agriculture sector and has started mechanising agriculture sectors as demands of agricultural equipment are growing gradually in the country.
She requested the Uzbek minister to convince their entrepreneurs to manufacture agricultural equipment and transports in Bangladesh and tap the local market and to export those to other countries.
Putting emphasis on strengthening connectivity between the countries of the region, the Prime Minister suggested introduction of air connectivity between Bangladesh and Uzbekistan.
The visiting Uzbek minister said under the dynamic and visionary leadership of Sheikh Hasina, the textile industry in Bangladesh has developed significantly which is an example for Uzbekistan and the country could learn from Bangladesh.
He said Uzbekistan will soon send a delegation to Bangladesh to explore ways how to develop jute yarn further.
In this context, Ganiev invited Bangladeshi entrepreneurs to invest in the textile sector in Uzbekistan. "Our infrastructure is very cheap," he said and assured all-out government support for the purpose.
He also mentioned that Uzbekistan imported 500 skilled workers from Bangladesh in the last eight months. "We will import 1,500 more skilled labourers from Bangladesh soon," he added.
Expressing intention to export agri equipment to Bangladesh, Ganiev told the Prime Minister that his country would increase the import of tea and medicine from Bangladesh.
Ambassador-at-Large M Ziauddin and PM's Principal Secretary Abdus Sobhan Sikder were present, among others.
