bdnews24.com
Senior Correspondent
November 1, 2015
Bhutan is keen to export hydropower to Bangladesh at ‘the cheapest possible rate’, says the country’s Economic Affairs Minister Lyonpo Norbu Wangchuk.
He told Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday that Bhutan had the potential to increase its generation to 30,000 MW in future.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, Hasina’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim quoted Wangchuk as saying his country was currently generating 5,000 MW of electricity and the price was the cheapest in the world.
In reply, the prime minister reiterated that her government’s planned to import power from Bhutan and was keen to participate in its future power projects.
Karim said Hasina hoped Bhutan’s yet unexplored hydropower potential would help Bangladesh meet its growing power demand.
She said that India was also positive about helping Bangladesh import power from Nepal and Bhutan under the BBIN framework.
Sheikh Hasina also said that the Motor Vehicle Agreement would improve connectivity among the four countries.
Karim said she expressed Bangladesh’s keenness to promote bilateral and sub-regional cooperation with India, Nepal, and Bhutan on Water Resources Management, power or hydroelectricity and connectivity-related issues.
Lyonpo Norbu Wangchuk, highly appreciative of her leadership, congratulated her for receiving the ‘Champions of the Earth’ award of the United Nations Environment Programme.
He also lauded her government’s initiatives to combat climate change.
Karim said the Bhutanese minister was impressed to find various remains Buddhist heritage in Bangladesh and appreciated the government’s efforts to protect them.
Outgoing Malaysian envoy meets PM
The outgoing Malaysian High Commissioner in Bangladesh, Norlin Binti Othman, on Sunday also paid a courtesy call on the prime minister at her office.
Ihsanul Karim said Sheikh Hasina had stressed further strengthening of economic cooperation between the two countries.
She said there was to increase bilateral trade.
The prime minister also expressed satisfaction over Malaysian investments in various sectors in Bangladesh such as textile, power, infrastructure and agro-based industries.
She noted that the countries had agreed to establish regular foreign official level consultations to steer progress in all areas of bilateral cooperation.
She thanked Norlin Binti Othman for successfully completing her tenure in Dhaka and contributing significantly to the strengthening of bilateral ties.
Karim said the outgoing Malaysian high commissioner felt Bangladesh had a great potential for economic development.
Othman also lauded Bangladesh’s striking progress in various sectors.
