Thai Petroleum Authority Interested To Explore Gas In Bangladesh

"The Petroleum Authority of Thailand is keen to come to Bangladesh in exploring gas," outgoing Thai Ambassador to Bangladesh Dr Modurapochana said today.

The Thai envoy informed this when she paid a farewell call on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her office here this morning.

After the meeting, PM's Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed reporters.

He said the Thai ambassador put emphasis on close security cooperation between Bangladesh and Thailand to combat terrorism.

In this connection, she mentioned the bomb explosion outside a Hindu shrine in central Bangkok on August 17.

"The bomb blast was linked to the human trafficking and 200 fake passports were recovered later," she said.

In this regard, the Prime Minister reiterated her government's "zero tolerance" policy against all sorts of terrorism and said her administration has undertaken various counterterrorism measures to root out terrorism from the country.

Sheikh Hasina thanked the Thai government for extraditing one of the convicted fugitive killers of Bangabandhu to Bangladesh.

The Prime Minister said her government is setting up special economic zones across the country and invited the Thai entrepreneurs to come with investments by taking the advantages of excellent government incentives.

In this connection, Ms Modurapochana noted that a Thai firm is constructing elevated expressway in Dhaka and said that it would help ease traffic congestion in the Bangladesh capital.

Pointing out Bangladesh's impressive socioeconomic progress, Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh is growing fast in all sectors and hoped that the country would get the status of middle income country by 2021 and status of a developed nation by 2041.

The Prime Minister also highlighted Bangladesh's maritime victory over India and Myanmar and mentioned the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal (BBIN) Motor Vehicle Agreement to strengthen connectivity.

The Prime Minister expressed her satisfaction over the excellent bilateral relations between the two countries and hoped that the ties would be further strengthened in the years to come.

Sheikh Hasina thanked the Thai ambassador for her significant contribution towards further bolstering the bilateral ties between Bangladesh and Thailand.

The Thai ambassador thanked Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for excellent and sincere cooperation extended to her (envoy) during her over three-year stay in Bangladesh.

Ms Modurapochana invited the Prime Minister to pay a bilateral visit to Thailand at her convenient time. Sheikh Hasina accepted the invitation.

PM's Principal Secretary Md Abul Kalam Azad was present, among others.