Switzerland is interested to establish direct air communication with Bangladesh, said Swiss ambassador to Bangladesh Reto Renggli.

He said this during a meeting with Civil Aviation Minister Mohammad Faruk Khan at the latter's office at the Secretariat, according to a press release issued by the ministry following the meeting.

In response, the minister welcomed Switzerland's interest and said, "We hope that the Air service agreement between the two countries will be signed within next two months. After that we will consider the issue of direct flights."

Mentioning that Bangladesh's location is on a key international aviation route, the minister said that, "We are working to make the country one of the major aviation hubs by utilising this opportunity."

The minister also said that the development of aviation infrastructure of all airports in the country including the third terminal of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, runway extension of Cox's Bazar Airport, and construction of new terminal is ongoing.

"We expect that the existing passenger and cargo capacity of the airline will be doubled within few years after the opening of the third terminal in October," he added.

Focusing on the country's tourism sector, Faruk Khan said, the tourism master plan has already been finalised. Its implementation will start this year.

"We are creating intensive tourism zones in several places of the country including Cox's Bazar for foreign tourists," he told the Swiss ambassador.

The minister said, "If Switzerland invests there, we will provide them all facilities. Besides, we are working with the Ministry of Home Affairs on visa facilitation and e-Visa launch."

"We will talk to investors from Switzerland to invest in the tourism industry of Bangladesh," the Swiss envoy said in response.

He also said, "I will undertake a fact-finding mission to visit Bangladesh for investment. We will send the master plan prepared for the development of tourism to our investors."