HPM Sheikh Hasina urges WEF to arrange meeting focusing Bangladesh

"We are ready to host such a meeting in Bangladesh," she said.

The premier made the request when WEF Executive Chairman Professor Klaus Schwab called on her at the Congress Centre in Davos on the sidelines of the 47th annual meeting of the WEF that began here today.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, PM's Deputy Press Secretary Md. Nazrul Islam said Sheikh Hasina also requested the WEF chairman to tell the investors through the ongoing WEF meeting to invest massively in Bangladesh.

"We have ensured conducive investment atmosphere in Bangladesh by giving various facilities to entrepreneurs, and the investors could utilize this opportunity," she said.

In this connection, the premier said the government has taken initiatives for setting up 100 economic zones in the country for further industrialization and generating employment.

"We have made open the power and energy sector for the private sector investors," she said.

In this regard, the WEF executive chairman said Bangladesh needs to be branded globally first to attract investment.

Highly praising the leadership of Sheikh Hasina, he said development in various sectors in Bangladesh is admirable and remarkable especially maintaining steady GDP growth and taking it to seven percent amid worldwide economic recession.

In this regard, the premier said Bangladesh is marching ahead with the cooperation of the development partners and friendly countries overcoming various shortcomings including problems of huge population.

Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh is giving emphasis on regional cooperation for further development of the people of the region and signed BBIN agreement with neighbours.

"Initiatives have been taken to ink the BCIM-EC agreement for further strengthening regional cooperation," she said.

Sheikh Hasina mentioned that Bangladesh has good relations with all its neighbours and resolved various bilateral issues including land boundary agreement with India and maritime boundary problems with India and Myanmar.

She thanked the WEF executive chairman for inviting her to the 47th Annual Meeting of WEF.

Professor Klaus said that Bangladesh is now the matter of interest before the world community which the world community is confident about the bright future of the country.

State Minister for Information and Communication Technology Junayed Ahmed Palak and Bangladesh Ambassador to Switzerland and Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the UN Offices Shameem Ahsan were present on the occasion.