“We want to take skilled manpower like physicians, engineers and others from Bangladesh,” he said during a meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban office.
PM’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed reporters after the meeting.
“We’ve many unexplored areas of cooperation…we’ve to explore these areas,” the Qatar state minister said.
He said Qatar wants cooperation in education sector between the two countries.
About the Rohingya crisis, Soltan bin Saad Al-Muraikhi said their country will continue its support to Bangladesh over the Rohingya issue.
He appreciated Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for Bangladesh’s graduation from the group of least developed countries to a developing country under her leadership. “We’re following the implementation of your development programmes,” he said.
The Qatari state minister said they want Bangladesh to play a major role in the region and the Muslim world. “We don’t want others to interfere in our internal affairs. You (Sheikh Hasina) are the symbol of the Muslim world in this regard.”
The Prime Minister invited Qatar to invest in Bangladesh, saying land will be given to the Qatar investors as now 100 economic zones are being established across the country.
Sheikh Hasina invited the Emir of Qatar to visit Bangladesh during the ‘Mujib Borsho’, saying Bangladesh will be happy to receive him during the birth centenary celebrations of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Noting that education is the key to development, she said her government is giving importance to technical and vocational education. “We want to establish a poverty-free Bangladesh,” she said, adding that her government brought down the poverty rate to 20.5 percent in the country.
The Prime Minister said Bangladesh gives importance to its relations with Muslim countries. “Together we can explore the areas for development,” she said.
Over the Rohingya issue, she said, “How long can we keep these Rohingyas (in Bangladesh)? It’s a burden on our economy.”
Sheikh Hasina said Myanmar has not yet initiated the repatriation process although it agreed to take back its nationals from Bangladesh.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam, PM’s Principal Secretary Dr Ahmad Kaikaus and Qatar Ambassador to Bangladesh Ahmed Mohammed Nasser Al-Dehaimi were present at the meeting.