Bangladesh has proposed introducing solar power grid and ocean cruises among BIMSTEC member countries for the benefits of all.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday placed the proposal at the retreat session of BIMSTEC held at Hotel Soaltee Crowne Plaza here. Briefing reporters after the session, Foreign Secretary M Shahidul Haque said discussions on regional and international issues and interests of Bangladesh were on the agenda.

During the retreat session, he said, the leaders elaborately discussed the trade, investment, power generation and transmission, and selling and procurement of electricity. They agreed on forming a working group to sort out possibility of trade-investment, production of power and export as well as investment in this sector, Shahidul said. He said the Prime Minister proposed introducing the BIMSTEC sea cruises and mentioned that Nepal and Bhutan can use ports of Bangladesh in this regard. There is huge potentials of producing electricity in Nepal and Bhutan, and they can export that to the neighbouring countries, the Foreign Secretary said. He said the BIMSTEC member countries did not take any step about the selling and buying of electricity, but with this retreat session, a big scope has been created for cooperation to this end.

Shahidul said the trade and investment among the BIMSTEC countries have been reduced, and the leaders discussed expanding the free trade area.