#Title

Invest in Bangladesh
from page 16
Economic Zone Authorities and Emirates Economic Zone authority would play an important role in promotion of business and investment between the two countries.
“I look forward to more visits of UAE high dignitaries and entrepreneurs to Bangladesh with a view to enhancing cooperation and engagements in the fields of business and investment.”
She said relations between Bangladesh and UAE have developed significantly in the recent years and attained a new height.
Hasina said Bangladesh is now regarded as “wonder of development” in the international arena.
“Bangladesh is one of the fastest growing economies in the world. According to World Bank, Bangladesh is the second fastest growing economy in Asia and fifth in the world,” she pointed out.
She recalled her visit to UAE in February this year when agreements were signed between the two countries on establishment of port, industrial park, setting up of power plants and LNG terminal, supply of LNG and investment in economic zones.
The premier said Bangladesh received a very positive response from the UAE side following her visit. UAE firms have come up with proposals of investment in Bangladesh’s power and energy sector, she mentioned.
“They have also shown interest in establishing LNG terminal and port. We have received a proposal from Emirates Economic Zone to establish its ventures in Bangladesh Economic Zone on G2G basis,” she said.
Hasina said Emirates Economic Zone would like to set up sustainable economic zone, halal food processing unit and certification centres. “We have welcomed the proposal since agriculture is our major economic foundation.”
She said Bangladesh Economic Zone authority is offering one-stop services to the investors for more than 100 infrastructure-related and utility services.
“Bangladesh has the most liberal investment policy in South Asia. It includes protection of foreign investment by law, generous tax holiday, concessionary duty on import of machinery, unrestricted exit policy, full repatriation of dividend and capital on exit, to name a few.”
She also announced that Bangladesh would participate in the Dubai Expo 2020 in a befitting manner.
Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen also spoke on the occasion.
Chairman and Managing Director of RELAM Investment Sultan Al Rashed Lootah, Chairman and Managing Director of Emirate Islamic Bank Hesham Abdullah Al Qassim and Managing Director (International Operations) of Malabar Gold Shamlal Ahamed, among other entrepreneurs, were present.
‘LABOUR MARKET TO BE REOPENED’
Meanwhile, the UAE on Sunday hinted at reopening its labour market to Bangladeshi workers.
Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan gave the hint to Sheikh Hasina at a meeting on the sidelines of the Dubai Airshow at the Dubai World Central (DWC).
PM’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed reporters after the meeting.
“You [prime minister] will not ask the same question when you will visit the UAE next time,” Sheikh Mohammed said when Hasina raised the manpower export issue at the meeting.
The manpower export from Bangladesh to the UAE remained suspended for the last five years.
During the meeting, the issue of importing rice from Bangladesh to the UAE also came up for discussion.
The premier said Bangladesh is a surplus rice-producing country. “We also export rice to different countries.”
Sheikh Mohammed, also the deputy supreme commander of the UAE Armed Forces, said his country would send a delegation to Bangladesh to see its different varieties of rice as per their requirement.
He said they might import the best quality rice from Bangladesh.
Hasina arrived in Dubai on Saturday night on a four-day official visit to the UAE to attend the Dubai Airshow 2019, one of the largest aviation exhibitions in the world.

Camel-riding gunmen kill six in Nigeria
Afp, Kano
Gunmen riding camels and horses killed six people in a village in northeast Nigeria, a region beset by Islamist attacks, police said on Sunday.
“Armed bandits” launched a predawn attack on Thursday on Aljannaru, a village in Adamawa state, before encountering a local self-defence group, police spokesman Suleiman Nguroje said.
They “clashed with some hunters, which led to the killing of six (people)”, Nguroje said.
Bandit attacks in northern Nigeria have risen in recent years, targeting remote areas and livestock.
Villages in southern Adamawa have also been repeatedly attacked by Boko Haram jihadists, leading to the rise of hunters and other self-defence groups to fight them.
In 2014, hunters helped force out Boko Haram militants occupying parts of Adamawa, yet sporadic attacks by the group persist.
In a separate incident in neighbouring Borno state, three Nigerian soldiers were killed on Sunday when their armoured vehicle was hit by a projectile fired by Boko Haram jihadists, army sources told AFP.
Fighters attacked the convoy at a military post outside the town of Gwoza, near the border with Cameroon, the sources said.
“We lost three soldiers in the attack” said an army officer speaking on condition of anonymity, adding soldiers were injured and an army vehicle destroyed.
The decade-long jihadist conflict has spilt into neighbouring Niger, Chad and Cameroon. It has claimed 35,000 lives and displaced around two million in Nigeria alone.