Bangladeshi Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is set to make his first official visit to Saudi Arabia after receiving an invitation from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, his office confirmed on Monday. The visit is expected to broaden bilateral ties between the two nations.
Invitation Presented by Saudi Ambassador
Saudi Ambassador Abdullah bin Abiyah met with Prime Minister Rahman at the Cabinet Secretariat in Dhaka to present the official invitation. The meeting was attended by Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman and Humayun Kabir, foreign affairs adviser to the prime minister.
Kabir told Arab News: “The ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia made a call on Prime Minister Tarique Rahman this morning to pass on the invitation from His Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to visit Saudi Arabia. Our prime minister has cordially accepted the invitation. The exact time and date of the travel will be sorted out later. Most likely the visit will take place after the summer.”
Significance of the Visit
Kabir emphasized the importance of the visit, stating: “It’s a significant moment that we received such an important invitation from Saudi Arabia, and it will be a very important visit. In the Middle Eastern region, Saudi Arabia is our historical partner. Since the presidency of Ziaur Rahman, it’s always been an important partner.” He added, “With this visit, our bilateral relationship will be taken to new heights.”
Ziaur Rahman, the prime minister’s father and former president, is credited with establishing bilateral ties in the 1970s after Bangladesh’s independence.
Political Context
Rahman’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), founded by his father and long led by his mother, former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, achieved a landslide victory in the February election. Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Dhaka was the first foreign envoy to meet Rahman after he assumed office.
Strategic and Comprehensive Relationship
“Bangladesh wants a strategic, comprehensive and special relationship with Saudi Arabia,” Kabir said. A ministerial delegation from the Kingdom is expected to visit Dhaka next week to discuss investment opportunities.
“We have a wide range of sectors where we seek Saudi investments, in areas like infrastructure, tourism, port management, agro industry, etc. Our bilateral ties with Saudi Arabia are considered brotherly ties, not just simply a relationship between two countries. It’s a brotherly one, a comprehensive one. It will be taken to new heights,” Kabir added.
