Bangladesh, Bhutan discuss manpower, SAARC revival during PM’s stopover
DHAKA, September 18: Bangladesh on Thursday expressed its interest in contributing skilled and semi-skilled manpower to Bhutan’s Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC) during a brief stopover by Bhutanese Prime Minister Dasho Tshering Tobgay in Dhaka.
Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan and State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humayun Kabir received the Bhutanese prime minister at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.
During the brief interaction, the Bangladesh ministers conveyed warm greetings from the Prime Minister to Tobgay and discussed bilateral issues of mutual interest, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
They highlighted the longstanding friendship between Bangladesh and Bhutan, noting that Bhutan was the first country to recognise Bangladesh in 1971.
The ministers also expressed Dhaka’s keen interest in supporting the development of the GMC, particularly by providing professionals as well as skilled and semi-skilled human resources.
The Gelephu Mindfulness City is a major economic and urban development initiative of Bhutan centred on the southern border town of Gelephu.
The Bangladesh side also sought Bhutan’s support for revitalising the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), recalling the vision of late President Ziaur Rahman for a prosperous South Asia.
The meeting was attended by the Bhutanese ambassador to Bangladesh and senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Prime Minister Tobgay spent around an hour at the VVIP lounge of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport before leaving Dhaka for Germany.
