Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Dr. Abdul Moin Khan has proposed launching a pilot project in Cox’s Bazar in partnership with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to convert saline water in Bangladesh into safe drinking water. He also called on the UAE to increase its investment in Bangladesh.

The minister made the proposal during a meeting with UAE Ambassador to Bangladesh Abdulla Ali Khaseif Abdulla Alhmoudi at his office in the Secretariat on Tuesday (October 13).

Highlighting the country’s future water security, the minister said excessive dependence on groundwater could pose challenges to the availability of safe drinking water in the coming years. To address this concern, he sought UAE cooperation in converting saline water into drinking water and proposed a joint pilot project in Cox’s Bazar.

Emphasising the need to increase UAE investment in Bangladesh, Dr. Moin Khan said making large initial investments could be difficult for Bangladesh. However, investment would be more manageable if foreign investors came forward and allowed payments to be made in instalments.

He urged the UAE to increase its investment in Bangladesh. Earlier in the meeting, the minister also briefed the ambassador on the challenges facing Bangladesh’s democratic transition.

The ambassador said Bangladeshi workers were making significant contributions to the UAE’s development. Considering the demands of the country’s labour market, he emphasised the importance of exporting skilled manpower and sought Bangladesh’s cooperation in this regard.

He also called for a reduction in taxes on high-quality limestone imported from the UAE to Bangladesh to facilitate increased imports. The minister assured him that the matter would be brought to the attention of the relevant authorities.

UAE Economic Analyst in Bangladesh Shahmina Isha Mannan, Director General of the Planning, Monitoring, Evaluation and Inspection Wing Shibir Bichitra Barua, and senior officials of the ministry were present at the meeting.