DHAKA — Kuwait is considering investing in an oil refinery project in Bangladesh, a senior Foreign Ministry official in Dhaka said Friday.

Kuwait is relocating its investment from Europe to Asia and Bangladesh can be a lucrative destination, Director General of the Foreign Ministry Nazrul Islam was quoted in a local online news.

"We discussed investment, trade, manpower export and other issues with a three-member Kuwaiti delegation that is currently visiting Bangladesh," he said.

The delegation, led by the Director General for Asia countries of Kuwaiti Foreign Ministry Mohammad Ahmad Al-Mejren Al-Rumi, arrived Thursday on a three-day visit.

Kuwait has a substantive investment in Malaysia, Indonesia and other Asian countries, Islam said.
Bangladesh asked the delegation to help bring Kuwaiti investment in infrastructure projects and import products including readymade garments, pharmaceuticals, jute items and leather products.

However, a source in the Foreign Ministry said the Kuwaiti delegates asked for transparent and bureaucratic-hassle free environment to invest here.

The delegation informed Bangladesh that there was no ban on exporting manpower from Bangladesh but they wanted skilled and technical people, Islam said.

They are interested to recruit doctors, engineers and nurses right now, he said. Over 0.2 million Bangladeshis are currently working in the Gulf state.

Meanwhile, Price of Kuwaiti crude oil went down 62 cents to $ 106.05 per barrel (pb) in transactions Thursday, compared with $106.67 on the day before, reported Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) Friday. — Agencies