Saudi Gazette

JEDDAH —Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has emphasized the need to utilize the Expatriates Welfare Fund for the wellbeing of the expatriates alone.

The prime minister was addressing the Bangladeshi community in Jeddah on Thursday at an event where she laid the foundation stone for the Bangladesh Consulate Building by unveiling a plaque.

The Bangladeshi leader left the Kingdom on Friday after a four-day official visit to the country upon the invitation of Custodian of Two Holy Mosques King Salman.

Hasina said the welfare fund would be spent for setting up schools for the children of expatriates and those schools would also be run through the fund as it was created with the expatriates’ money.

The prime minister said remittances by expatriates was a major source of foreign currency for Bangladesh. «Our embassies and missions are run by their money. I want the Expatriates Welfare Fund to be utilized for their welfare,” she said.

Hasina assured the Bangladeshi community in the Kingdom that her government was paying attention toward community-run schools in the Kingdom and would allocate required funds to reopen the Bangladesh International School in Madinah.

She stressed the need for Bangladeshis seeking jobs overseas to obtain proper training before leaving home.

“It’s very unfortunate that people who want to go abroad to work are not interested in receiving training,” she said.

Earlier Hasina held separate meetings with Custodian of Two Holy Mosques King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammad in Riyadh.

The prime minister had a meeting with the Saudi business community, including leaders of the Council of Saudi Chambers (CSC) and Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry where five memorandums of understanding were signed between the two countries.

Hasina told the Saudi business community that Bangladesh had earmarked 2,000 acres of land in one of the exclusive economic zones for Saudi Arabian investors. She said Saudi investors could develop the land and operate as per their desire.

«Bangladesh has low-cost electricity and water, good credit rating, minimum risk factors and fast technology adaptability. All these facilities combined together, Bangladesh gives the maximum return and dividend to investors,” Hasina said.

The prime minister mentioned that Bangladesh had the most liberal investment policy in South Asia with attractive incentives and high returns.

Hasina also opened the new complex of the Bangladesh Embassy at the Diplomatic Quarter in Riyadh. She had laid the foundation stone of the new building during a visit to the Kingdom in June 2016 and the construction started the following month.

The Bangladeshi leader performed Umrah and prayed at the Prophet›s Mosque in Madinah during her visit.