President urges Brunei Sultan to recruit more Bangladeshis  

President Md Abdul Hamid on Saturday called upon the Brunei government to recruit more manpower from Bangladesh for the greater benefit of the two friendly Muslim countries.

The president came up with the call as visiting Brunei Darussalam Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah paid a courtesy call on him at Bangabhaban in Dhaka.

Noting that there is an investment-friendly environment in Bangladesh, President Abdul Hamid also urged the business community of Brunei to come forward for investment.

Welcoming the Brunei sultan, he said the sultan’s first visit to Bangladesh would usher in a new chapter of the bilateral ties between the two brotherly countries.

The head of the state said Bangladesh attaches utmost importance to developing relations with Southeast Asian countries and expected Brunei’s full support to get Bangladesh’s status as a Sectoral Dialogue Partner of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations).

President Abdul Hamid thanked the sultan for providing free Covid-19 vaccines to expatriate Bangladeshis working in Brunei.

He also put emphasis on increasing communication at the public-private levels to increase trade and commerce between the two countries.

Referring to the Rohingya issue, Abdul Hamid expressed his gratefulness to the sultan for his support to Bangladesh on the issue.

Expressing hope that Brunei’s support would continue in days to come in this regard, the president sought the cooperation of the sultan and his government for the safe return of the displaced Rohingyas to their ancestral land in Rakhine state of Myanmar.

The Brunei sultan lauded the socio-economic development of Bangladesh and assured of providing necessary support to the country in days to come.

The sultan also signed a “Visitors’ Book” at Bangabhaban after the meeting.

Earlier on his arrival at the presidential palace at 6:55pm, he was received by the president with a bouquet.

Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen, Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi, Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen, Military Secretary Maj Gen SM Salahuddin Islam and Secretary (attached) Md Wahidul Islam Khan were present there.

Earlier, Foreign Minister Momen along with State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam called on Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah at Hotel InterContinental.