Prime minister’s private industry and investment adviser Salman F Rahman has said that Saudi Arabia has shown keen interest to set up a special economic zone at Payra in Patuakhali.

‘We want to give Saudi Arabia an economic zone in Bangladesh. Their investment minister has also expressed interest in building an economic zone in Payra,’ an official release on Wednesday quoted Salman as saying. According to the release, Salman apprised the newsmen of Saudis interest at a press briefing at the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority building on Tuesday following his three-day visit to Saudi Arabia. In Saudi Arabia, the PM’s adviser said through a joint venture, Bangladesh will establish a urea fertiliser factory. ‘We will import 100 percent of the produced urea. They want to go forward with the proposal,’ he said. Referring to the Islamic Military Counterterrorism Coalition meeting, Salman said, ‘We have agreed on some issues in the meeting. Our position is against terrorism in the name of Islam. Terrorism is terrorism. Terrorists have no religion. All they do is to defame Islam.’ Participants in the meeting have agreed to strengthen collaboration among Islamic nations through this organisation, he mentioned.