Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday said the D-8 countries collectively have a great potential to emerge as a powerful economic bloc.
She made the remarks when Secretary General of D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation Isiaka Abdul Qadir Imam met her at Ganabhaban in Dhaka.
PM’s Press Secretary Ihasanul Karim briefed reporters after the meeting.
“The D-8 countries collectively have a great potential to emerge as a powerful economic bloc,” the PM was quoted as saying.
During the meeting, both the prime minister and the D-8 secretary-general reiterated the need for materialising preferential trade agreements to harness the immense potential for promoting trade among the member states.
They emphasised the need for exploring the thrust sectors of D-8, like trade, economy, commerce, transport, agriculture, tourism, education, and energy.
Sheikh Hasina expressed satisfaction at the successful hosting of the 10th D-8 Summit, held virtually in Dhaka in April 2021 amid the global pandemic.
She iterated Bangladesh’s full commitment in steering the important events of D-8 under Bangladesh’s chairmanship in the coming days.
The prime minister congratulated Isiaka Abdul Qadir on his assumption as the secretary-general of D-8. She hoped that his leadership would add further dynamism in introducing new ideas for innovative partnerships among D-8 member countries.
Sheikh Hasina apprised him of the success achieved in the agriculture sector of Bangladesh, saying that the researchers here developed the drought- and saline-tolerant variants of rice and Bangladesh can share its experiences with D-8 countries in agriculture sector.
The D-8 secretary-general appreciated Bangladesh’s progress in the ICT sector.
He expressed keen interest in Bangladesh's specialised economic zones.
PM’s Ambassador-at-large Mohammad Ziauddin and PM’s Principal Secretary Ahmad Kaikaus were present at the meeting.
Ambassador Isiaka Abdulqadir Imam assumed the position of the Secretary-General of the D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation (D-8) on 01 January 2022.
The D-8 member countries are Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Turkey.
