The visiting Prime Minister of Bhutan, Tshering Tobgay, has urged the Bangladesh government to take initiatives to encourage more Bangladeshi travelers to explore his country, the Land of the Thunder Dragon. 

The Prime Minister of Bhutan expressed this request during a meeting with Commerce Adviser Sk. Bashir Uddin, which took place at a hotel in Dhaka on Saturday. 

Inviting the Bangladeshi tourists, Tobgay said that while the Sustainable Development Fee (SDF) for tourists from most countries is set at US$100 per night, Bhutan has fixed the fee at only US$15 for tourists from Bangladesh and other South Asian nations. 

During the meeting, both ministers focused on strengthening bilateral ties and boosting trade and investment cooperation between the two neighboring countries.

They also exchanged views on deepening economic collaboration, enhancing bilateral trade flows, and exploring new avenues of investment, an official release said.  

Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay described Bangladesh–Bhutan relations as “excellent,” noting that expanding trade would add a new dimension to the existing friendly ties. 

The Bhutanese Premier thanked the Government of Bangladesh for allocating a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Kurigram exclusively for Bhutan. He said several preparatory activities have already started at the site.

Highlighting Bhutan’s plans to build the biodiversity city of Gelephu, he said the proposed city aims to protect the country’s rich natural biodiversity while developing modern and sustainable infrastructure. 

He expressed Bhutan's interest in importing large volumes of construction materials from Bangladesh for the Gelephu project.

Bhutanese Foreign Affairs and External Trade Minister D.N. Dhungyel, Industry, Commerce and Employment Minister Lyonpo Namgyal Dorji, and Bangladesh Commerce Secretary Mahbubur Rahman were also present at the meeting.

Earlier, a red carpet was rolled out to accord a warm reception to Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay on his arrival on a two-day state visit as Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus received him at the Dhaka Airport. Source:BSS