Staff Correspondent

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday (May 12) invited the Italian businessmen to invest in Bangladesh to grab potential of its local markets along with the entire south and south-east Asian markets as her country is in the centre of opportunities.

"Businessmen and investors can invest in Bangladesh's special economic zones," she said while Italian Ambassador in Dhaka Antonio Alessandro called on her at her official residence Ganabhaban in Dhaka.

Prime Minister's Speech Writer M Nazrul Islam briefed the newsmen after the meeting. Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh also has a huge domestic market apart from South and South-East Asian markets.

"Bangladesh can be the big central market encircling South Asia and Southeast Asian markets," she said.

The prime minister said Bangladesh will step into the developing country's arena after 2026, as she sought Italian assistance to continue her country's GSP plus facilities to export Bangladeshi items to the European countries.

Sheikh Hasina also emphasised increasing trade between the two countries, saying, "There is an ample scope to increase trade and commerce between the two countries."

She called for exploring and utilising those opportunities as well.

About the illegal migrants in the European countries including Italy, the prime minister said the government is taking all-out initiatives so that none illegally enters any overseas country.

"It is very much regretful that many people including Bangladeshis died in Mediterranean Sea while going to the European countries," she observed.

She mentioned that her government is taking highest efforts so that no one goes to any country illegally.

"For that, we are taking legal steps as well as creating awareness among the people," she said, briefly elaborating various measures of her government.

The premier requested Italy to take more Bangladeshi manpower through legal process.

Sheikh Hasina invited the Italian prime minister to visit Bangladesh at his convenient time through Antonio Alessandro.

The Italian ambassador said his country wanted to assist Bangladesh in technology transfer and defence purchase, and modernisation in various sectors.

He also expressed his country's keen interest to provide second satellite to Bangladesh.

He put emphasis on trade diversification to tape the trade and commerce opportunities between the two countries.

Talking about the Rohingya issue, both the Bangladesh premier and the Italian envoy agreed on the dignified repatriation of the forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals to their homeland.

PMO Secretary Mohammad Salahuddin was present at the meeting.