<div style="text-align: justify; "><b style="font-size: 1rem;">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has offered Bhutan to build an economic zone in Bangladesh for mutual benefits as Bhutanese King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Queen Jetsun Pema had a meeting with her here.</b><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“We’re establishing economic zones in Bangladesh. You can build an economic zone in our country which will be familiar with the Bhutan Economic Zone,” Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen quoted her as saying in a news briefing after their meeting on Saturday (local time).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Earlier, the Bangladesh premier and her younger sister Sheikh Rehana received the Bhutanese King and Queen upon their arrival at Sheikh Hasina’s Palace of Residence, The Claridge Hotel as the meeting was held at its bilateral meeting room.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Bangladesh premier said they have already provided economic zones in Bangladesh to India, Japan and South Korea.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“If you want, we can give you an economic zone in Kurigram,” she said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Sheikh Hasina has made the offer when the Bhutanese King said they wanted to build an administrative economic zone in his country keeping the environment unharmed.&nbsp; &nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Bangladesh foreign minister said Bhutan doesn’t want to endanger their country environmentally as their country is a happy one.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The prime minister said that Bangladesh has been developing communication with neighbours through all the ways that include railways.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“Bangladesh is a connectivity hub. Bhutan can use Bangladesh’s two ports and the Syedpur International Airport as we make those open for this purpose,” she said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Bhutanese King and Queen highly praised the economic advancement of Bangladesh under the dynamic leadership of Sheikh Hasina.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Bhutanese King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck has expressed his desire to get direct transit with Bangladesh through India.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Bangladesh premier has welcomed the Bhutan’s eagerness, saying, “If necessary, we will talk to India over the matter.”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Bhutanese King said his country’s prime minister and foreign minister have a special attachment with Bangladesh as both of them studied in Bangladesh.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">He said both the premier and foreign minister of Bhutan have wanted to visit Bangladesh privately.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">To this end, Sheikh Hasina said, “My door is open for your people.”&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">During the 50 minutes meeting, they also discussed various family affairs and the Bhutanese King and Queen considered the prime minister as their maternal aunt, the Bangladesh foreign minister said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">PM’s Private Industry and Investment Adviser Salman Fazlur Rahman, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam, PM’s Principal Secretary Md Tofazzel Hossain Miah, Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen, PM’s Speechwriter M Nazrul Islam and Bangladesh High Commissioner to the UK Saida&nbsp; Muna Tasneem, among others, were present at the meeting. BSS</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>