Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday urged Qatar to recruit more workers from Bangladesh to meet the manpower demand of the Middle Eastern country on the occasion of the World Cup football to be held in Qatar in 2022.
“A huge development is now taking place in Qatar on the occasion of the World Cup Football 2022...So, we want to export more manpower to Qatar to fulfil its demand,” she said.
The prime minister made the request when newly-appointed Qatari ambassador to Bangladesh Ahmed bin Mohamed al-Dehaimi paid a courtesy call on her at her office.
After the meeting, PM’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed reporters.
In response to the request of the prime minister regarding the recruitment of Bangladeshi workers, the ambassador said Bangladesh could contribute to Qatar’s development efforts by sending more workers.
“We need more manpower for not only the World Cup Football, but also achieve our Vision 2030 programme,” the envoy said.
In this connection, Dehaimi said a delegation from the Qatari labour ministry would visit Bangladesh within the next 10 days to discuss the issue of recruiting Bangladeshi workers.
Putting emphasis on exploring bilateral co-operation in new areas, the prime minister said an LNG terminal is being set up at Moheshkhali island in Cox’s Bazar district.
“The work of the terminal would be finished in the next two years and Bangladesh would import LNG from Qatar,” she said.
Listing her government’s success in the socioeconomic field, Sheikh Hasina said, “Our main goal is to ensure welfare of the people and establish a hunger and poverty-free Bangladesh.”
Recalling her visits to Qatar, Hasina also put emphasis on frequent exchange of high-level visits between the two countries.
She mentioned that the Bangladesh president has already invited  HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani to visit Bangladesh. “I myself also invited the Qatari Prime Minister to visit Bangladesh,” the PM said.
At the very outset of the meeting, Sheikh Hasina welcomed the new Qatari envoy in Bangladesh and expressed satisfaction over the existing excellent relations between the two countries based on common historic and religious ties.
Sheikh Hasina said 90% people in Bangladesh are Muslims and Bangladesh always maintains very good relations with the Muslim countries like Qatar. “We want to further strengthen the ties,” she noted.
Highly lauding the dynamic leadership of Hasina, the new envoy hoped that Bangladesh would be able to achieve its Vision 2021 much earlier as the country is advancing at a faster pace.
Expressing satisfaction over the existing bilateral ties between Bangladesh and Qatar, the ambassador said he wants to take the relations to a new height during his tenure.
Dehaimi said Qatar attaches importance to its relations with the Islamic countries.
He also placed emphasis on co-operation in education sector between the two countries.
The PM’s International Affairs Adviser Dr Gowher Rizvi and PMO Secretary Suraiya Begum were present on the occasion.