Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday sought robust Turkish investment in Bangladesh alongside cooperation in the sustainable repatriation of Rohingyas.
"I call for larger Turkish investment in Bangladesh," she said while outgoing Turkish Ambassador in Dhaka Mustafa Osman Turan paid a courtesy call on her at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) in the capital.
She urged the Turkish government to put pressure on Myanmar to bring back its nationals.
PM'S speech writer M Nazrul Islam briefed the reporters after the meeting.
The Turkish envoy said his country's businessmen have shown interest in making more investments in Bangladesh due to its massive infrastructure development particularly for setting up economic zones.
He said two Turkish companies have so far invested $850 million in the economic zone here this year.
He also assured of giving all sorts of cooperation in Rohingya repatriation.
The prime minister stressed the need for quickly holding the next Bangladesh-Turkey Joint Economic Group meeting, where discussions about cooperation in trade, business and other issues will be held.
The earlier meeting of the group was held in Istanbul in 2019, she said.
Sheikh Hasina also sought Turkish assistance in overcoming the challenges of Bangladesh being graduated as a developing country from the least developed one.
The prime minister called upon Turkey to make cooperation in defence and socio-economic issues.
The Turkish envoy expressed her country's eagerness to extend cooperation to the defence sector.
Turan, as well, showed his country's interest in setting up a super speciality hospital in Bangladesh and sought a suitable place for it.
In reply, the prime minister offered to provide land at Purbachal or the neighbourhood of the Padma Bridge.
The Turkish envoy, however, expressed his country's keenness to take the idea of “Smart Bangladesh” and work together to build “Smart Bangladesh.”
He hoped that Sheikh Hasina will be voted to power in the next general election.
The prime minister said that Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founding father of modern Turkey, is very popular in Bangladesh and Kemal has now become a "household name" here.
She said her younger brother Kamal was named after Kemal being inspired by his (Kemal's) works.
Ambassador at Large M Ziauddin and PM's Principal Secretary M Tofazzel Hossain Miah were present, among others.
