Austrian companies keen to invest in Bangladesh: Envoy

Austrian companies are keen to invest in Bangladesh as the Western European nation seeks to cement economic ties with Bangladesh, said Non-resident Ambassador of Austria Katharina Wieser today (18 November).

Wieser, who is based in New Delhi but serves as the envoy to Bangladesh, made the comments when she called on the interim government's Chief Adviser (CA) Prof Muhammad Yunus at his office in Dhaka's Tejgaon, according to a media statement issued by the CA Press Wing.

The ambassador said her government would support the country's interim government in its move to carry out sweeping reforms in the country.

The chief adviser said the country would decide on the vote date once reforms are implemented and the voter list is prepared.

Wieser said several Austrian companies were interested in investing in Bangladesh, including a company that wanted to set up a technical school on the outskirts of Dhaka.

But they needed some cooperation from Bangladesh authorities to secure soft loans from Austrian financial institutions, she said.

Yunus instantly asked officials to look into the issue with the concerned Ministry.

The duo also discussed Bangladesh's counterterrorism measures, cross-border issues, human trafficking, legal migration, climate change, reforms in Bangladesh police, and the country's law and order situation.

Ambassador Wieser said Austria has a long-term policy to promote legal migration, and Bangladeshis are the sixth-largest migrant community in the rich Western European nation.

Prof Yunus said Austria should take more Bangladeshis through the legal channels. It will cut human trafficking from Bangladesh, he added.

Lamiya Morshed, senior secretary and the principal coordinator of SDG affairs, and Tasbirul Islam, honorary consul of Austria, were present during the meeting.