Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has announced that a sea cruise between the Maldives and Bangladesh could start this winter.

She announced this while speaking to the newly-appointed High Commissioner of the Maldives to Bangladesh, Shiruzimath Sameer at her official residence in Ganabhaban on Wednesday.

At the meeting, the prime minister put emphasis on the need for exchanging experiences and assistance between the two friendly countries in collecting fisheries in the deep sea, the Dhaka Tribune reported.

The envoy said a MoU may be signed during the visit of Maldives President to Bangladesh on the occasion of the latter's golden jubilee of independence.

He said the high commissioner informed the prime minister that a number of Maldivian students have been studying medical sciences in Bangladesh.

Noting that her government has established engineering universities and colleges, medical colleges, an aviation university, and a maritime university in Bangladesh,  Hasina urged the Maldivian students to come to Bangladesh in large numbers for their higher studies.

She also urged the businessmen of Maldives to invest in agriculture and agricultural goods, leather and leather goods, ceramic, medicine and information technology sectors alongside fisheries.

Sameer lauded the prime minister for her visionary leadership, her role, and initiatives in facing the situation arising out of the coronavirus. She also expressed her country's desire to boost trade and commerce with Bangladesh and also sought investment from Bangladesh in a new city being built on Male Island.

Sameer described the relocation of Rohingyas to Bhashan Char as a good move.

Bangladesh is currently hosting more than 1.1 million forcible displaced Myanmar nationals. Bangladesh has invested millions of dollars to develop the Bhasan Char Island and plans to relocate 100,000 Rohingyas there in phases. So far, 8,702 Rohingyas have been taken to the island.

Hasina said Rohingyas have been living in Cox's Bazar in a very inhuman condition where forest and environment were also being destroyed severely.

"We've arranged better and modern accommodation for the Rohingyas at Bhashan Char. We'll develop the entire area," she was quoted as saying.