DHAKA, 01 November 2021, (TON): France has expressed its intent to sign a number of deals with Bangladesh eyeing to extend cooperation in defence with the potential for selling weapons among other issues during the visit of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to the country next week.

According to French diplomats “the two countries ‘are working to sign a deal for setting a framework on defence cooperation including providing defence articles’ by France after a summit between the top leaders in Paris in November.”

France is also interested in installing radars at airports in cities other than Dhaka and providing e-visa facilities for granting visas to the foreigners willing to visit Bangladesh.

Bangladesh officials confirmed the matter.

Without specific mention of anything, foreign minister AK Abdul Momen said that Bangladesh and France will sign several memorandums of understanding and letter of intent on different issues after Hasina’s talks with French president Emmanuel Macron and prime minister Jean Castex in Paris separately on November 9.