Dhaka, Thimphu to sign 3 MoUs during Bhutan King‍‍`s visit

Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud yesterday said three new memorandums of understanding (MoUs) will be signed between Bangladesh and Bhutan while another MoU will be renewed during the visit of Bhutanese King Jigme Singye Wangchuck in Bangladesh.

"We have multifaceted relations with Bhutan," he said this at a curtain raiser briefing at the foreign ministry here ahead of Bhutanese King’s four-day visit in Bangladesh beginning from Monday.  

The MoUs are, Establishment of a Burn and Plastic Surgery Unit in Thimphu, Bhutan; Establishment of Special Economic Zone for Bhutan in Kurigram, Bangladesh, and Technical cooperation in consumer protection.  

Under the MoUs, Bangladesh will allocate 190 acres of land in Kurigram for a special economic zone for Bhutanese investors, Foreign Minister said.

He said Bangladesh wants to import hydropower from Bhutan and a tripartite agreement is required to bring the electricity through India.

"We are in discussion to that end," he added.

He said Bhutan has a potential of producing 25,000 megawatts of hydropower.
Hasan said Bangladesh will construct a burn unit in Thimphu as a goodwill gesture which also demonstrates the country’s capacity.

The foreign minister also briefed about the visit of the Bhutanese King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck.

Bhutan was the first country to recognise the newly independent Bangladesh on December 6 in 1971 when the 3rd King of Bhutan sent a message of recognition by telegram.

Since then Bangladesh and Bhutan share a special multidimensional bilateral relationship.

The King, along with Bhutanese Foreign, Health, Industry and Commerce Ministers and the Bhutanese Queen, is scheduled to arrive on Monday morning.