Bhutan King to visit proposed Kurigram SEZ today

Bhutanese King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck is set to visit Kurigram today (Thursday) to visit the proposed "Bhutanese Special Economic Zone" (SEZ) in Kurigram, a joint initiative of the governments of Bangladesh and Bhutan.
 
Bhutan has already conveyed its appreciation to Bangladesh for offering the Special Economic Zone (SEZ), which is 190 km from the southern city of Gelephu, Bhutan.

In a bilateral meeting with the King and Queen of Bhutan in London in May 2023, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina proposed the establishment of a special economic zone in Kurigram. Later, the district administration and Bangladesh Economic Zone Authority (Beza) started proceedings to set up the SEZ.
 "The Economic Zone will add a "new horizon" in the area of bilateral trade and investment between the two countries and also for achieving greater prosperity in the South Asia region," a joint statement has said following a bilateral meeting between the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Bhutanese King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck Bhutenese.

The state visit of the King to Bangladesh has further strengthened the traditional ties of friendship, cooperation, and goodwill between the two countries, according to a joint statement.

According to our correspondent, the Kurigram district administration has already handed over 133.92 acres of Khas land under Madhabaram Mauza of Bhogdanga Union to Beza to establish the proposed economic zone.

Beza Executive Chairman Shaikh Yusuf Harun told the media in Kurigram that a memorandum of understanding is expected to be signed between the two countries soon, however, after completing the overall legal process between the two countries and preparing the space, it will be possible to start the full operation of the SEZ within the next three years. If the economic zone is opened, it will create employment for the people of Kurigram.

After visiting the Economic Zone in Kurigram, the King will go to Sonahat Land Port, where he will be given the guard of honour by Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB).

The Bhutanese King is scheduled to leave Bangladesh territory at 3:30pm on Thursday for Golakganj, Assam, via Sonahat Land Port.

State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury will see him off there.

Meanwhile, Bhutanese King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck on Wednesday visited the Padma Bridge, which was constructed through self-financing efforts of the Bangladesh government.  After visiting the Padma Bridge, King Jigme visited the Special Economic Zone in Araihazar, Narayanganj, in the afternoon to witness firsthand the infrastructure and facilities there.

Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh Iwama Kiminori and Executive Chairman of BEZA Shaikh Yusuf Harun received the King. After a video presentation and brief discussion there, he visited the Singer Bangladesh Limited construction site there.

Meanwhile, the joint statement has said that the state visit of the King to Bangladesh has further strengthened the traditional ties of friendship, cooperation, and goodwill between the two countries.

Both sides expressed happiness that Bhutan and Bangladesh signed the Agreement on the Movement of Traffic-in-Transit and its Protocol in March 2023, which will usher in new horizons for bilateral trade and connectivity.

The Agreement and its Protocol will not only be phenomenal for bilateral trade but will also work as a platform for paving the way for an interconnected South Asia.

Both countries expressed satisfaction with the recent initiatives between the two for facilitating trade, such as the Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA), the first of its kind for the two countries, and the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for seamless use of the inland waterways of Bangladesh.

The power and energy sector provides an important area for cooperation between Bhutan and Bangladesh.

In this regard, both sides underscored the importance of strengthening subregional cooperation in the energy sector among Bhutan, Bangladesh, and India.

The King of Bhutan extended invitations to President Mohammed Shahabuddin and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to visit Bhutan.