Bhutanese envoy meets Fakhrul, discusses Saarc revival

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir met with Bhutan's Ambassador to Bangladesh Rinchen Kuentsyl today (21 November) at 11am at the BNP chairperson's office in Gulshan.

The meeting was attended by BNP Standing Committee member and member of the BNP chairperson's International Advisory Committee Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, along Shama Obaid, member of the BNP chairperson's sub-committee on international affairs, as per BNP Media Cell member Shairul Kabir Khan.

Briefing reporters about the outcome of the discussions, Amir Khasru said the talks centred around a range of issues of mutual interest between Bangladesh and Bhutan, reports UNB.

"The economic relationship between the two countries has always been good. During BNP's time in government, the trade with Bhutan grew significantly, particularly as we removed duties on vegetables imported from Bhutan," he said.

The BNP leader mentioned that they discussed expanding trade between Bhutan and Bangladesh on a larger scale, possibly through Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) in the future.

He also highlighted Bhutan's interest in exporting hydroelectric power to Bangladesh. "We discussed the potential for cooperation, as Bhutan has the capacity to produce about 30,000 MW of hydroelectric power, a significant amount. They have yet to explore 25,000 MW of this potential, from which they could export power to Bangladesh."

Khasru said the discussions also focused on reviving and strengthening Saarc and fostering greater integration across South Asia. "Ziaur Rahman's vision was the integration of South Asia through Saarc, a dream we have yet to realise. We will all work together to leverage the potential for South Asia's integration," he added.