PM to visit Netherlands Nov 3-6

Dhaka and The Hague are expected to sign several deals on economic cooperation, seaport development and natural disaster management during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's 4-day official visit to the Netherlands from November 3.

Her visit is expected to be followed by that of Queen Máxima of the Netherlands to Bangladesh in the third week of the same month, said diplomatic sources.

Highly placed sources at the Prime Minister's Office told The Daily Star yesterday that there has been a pending invitation from The Hague and the PM will be going to the Netherlands on November 3 to boost bilateral relations.

“We are expecting a very positive outcome from this visit as the Netherlands has shown its interest in construction and development of seaports in Chittagong and Paira in Patuakhali,” said a PMO official.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, during his bilateral meeting with Sheikh Hasina in New York on Sept 28 on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, had expressed deep interest in Bangladesh and assisting the country in its current development endeavours.

A PMO source said during Hasina's upcoming visit, she will call on the King of the Netherlands and hold a bilateral meeting with her counterpart when she will also unveil her government's plan to start the construction of Paira deep seaport soon and seek Dutch government's support in this regard.

Hasina will also seek Dutch cooperation in the areas of river dredging, land reclamation, flood control and natural disaster management in Bangladesh.

She will discuss progress in preparing the “Bangladesh Delta Plan 2100” which is being formulated in cooperation with the Dutch government, added the source.

Diplomatic sources said the Netherlands' support to Bangladesh has also been focused on water management, education and healthcare.

Issues of governance, gender and environment are included and integrated in all Netherlands supported activities.

The Kingdom of the Netherlands, which is a candidate for the non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for 2017-2018, will seek Bangladesh's support during the visit of Hasina, added the sources.

The Netherlands has long been a partner of Bangladesh for inclusive, sustainable growth and actively contributing to international efforts to eliminate extreme poverty within a single generation.