Abdul Moyeen Khan seeks UAE help to make saline water drinkable, proposes joint pilot project in Cox’s Bazar
Photo: Collected
Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan has proposed taking up a joint pilot project with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in Cox’s Bazar, aimed at converting Bangladesh’s saline water into drinking water. He also called for increased UAE investment in Bangladesh.
The minister made the proposal during a courtesy meeting with UAE Ambassador to Bangladesh Abdulla Ali Alhamoudi at his office in the Secretariat on Tuesday.
Referring to the country’s future water security, the minister said that because of excessive dependence on groundwater, getting safe water could become a challenge in the future. To deal with this situation, he sought the UAE’s cooperation in converting Bangladesh’s saline water into potable drinking water.
Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan also stressed increasing UAE investment in Bangladesh. In his view, it is somewhat difficult for Bangladesh to make large investments at the outset; but if foreign investors come forward and there is scope to repay the investment in phases, it will be advantageous for Bangladesh. He urged the UAE at this time to increase investment in Bangladesh.
At the start of the discussion, the minister told the ambassador about the challenges on the path of Bangladesh’s democratic transition.
The ambassador said Bangladeshi workers are playing an important role in the development of the UAE. Considering the demands of the country’s labour market, he emphasised the export of skilled manpower and sought Bangladesh’s cooperation in this regard.
The ambassador also requested that the tax on high-quality limestone imported into Bangladesh from the UAE be reduced to increase the volume of imports. The local government minister assured him that he would inform the relevant authorities about the matter.
Present at the meeting were UAE Economist Analyst in Bangladesh Shahmina Isha Mannan and senior ministry officials, including Shibir Bichitra Barua, Director General of the Planning, Monitoring, Evaluation and Inspection Wing.
