Staff Correspondent:

Bhutan is keen on joint venture investment with Bangladesh to harness the hydropower potentials of the Himalayan kingdom, its ambassador to Bangladesh Rinchen Kuentsyl said on Tuesday.

Bhutan has also moved to sign an agreement with Bangladesh’s submarine cable company to get an alternative internet connection from Dhaka, he said.

The ambassador paid a farewell call on Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus at the State Guest House Jamuna in Dhaka and discussed the issues of mutual interest.

The ambassador said during his four-year-long stay in Dhaka, the relationship between the two countries deepened, with both nations exploring new avenues to boost ties.

Ambassador Kurntsyl said the work on the exclusive Special Economic Zone (SEZ) for Bhutanese investors in the northern district of Kurigram was progressing fast and it would create jobs for thousands of people.

“We look forward to operationalising it very soon,” he said, adding Bhutanese investors would produce goods for Bhutan and international markets.

During the meeting, they also discussed issues of mutual interest, including growing educational ties between the two South Asian nations.

Professor Yunus thanked the ambassador for his efforts to bring two countries closer and for being a “good friend” of Bangladesh.