RIYADH – Saudi Crown Prince, Deputy Premier and Defense Minister Mohammad bin Salman bin Abdulaziz has highly appreciated Bangladesh’s tremendous development under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, saying that he wants to be a part of that development.
“I’m aware of stunning development that took place in Bangladesh at recent time and I want to be a part of that uplift,” Foreign Secretary Md Shahidul Haque quoted the Saudi Prince as saying while briefing reporters after Salman’s meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday.
Salman, he said, asked his officials to go to Bangladesh and send experts there so that they can know what is happening in Bangladesh.
“Then we will take decision that in which sectors Bangladesh needs investment,” Salman said.
The foreign secretary said the meeting was held in a very warm and cordial environment at Royal Palace in Riyadh last night. “He (Salman) was very lively at the meeting that lasted for nearly 30 minutes,” Haque said.
When the prime minister invited the Crown Prince to visit Bangladesh, he warmly accepted the invitation. “I will visit Bangladesh soon,” the Saudi Prince said.
Sheikh Hasina stressed the need for unity in the Muslim world, saying “We should not fight among ourselves, rather we should solve any problem together”.
When the prime minister said she had visited Saudi Arabia for six times since 2009, the Saudi Crown Prince described her as “half Saudi”. “You’ve become ‘half Saudi’ as you had visited Saudi Arabia so many times,” Salman said adding “it’s also your home”.
The Crown Prince echoed the views with the prime minister saying that “we also want it and we also want that all stay in peace and make development”.
The Saudi Prince said a good collaboration is taking place in the defence sector with Bangladesh. “I hope this collaboration in different sectors will continue and be increased further,” she said.
During his meeting with the prime minister, the foreign secretary said, Salman focused on two sectors – one is trade and investment and other is defence sector.
Haque said: “We hope that a high-level Saudi delegation will soon visit Bangladesh to explore cooperation in different sectors and the Kingdom will make a big investment in Bangladesh”.
Saudi Arabia is very much interested to make more investment in Bangladesh, the foreign secretary said.
The prime minister arrived in Riyadh on Tuesday on a four-day official visit to Saudi Arabia at the invitation of the Saudi King and Custodian of Two Holy Mosques Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
