The identical views were expressed when Prime Minister Khaleda Zia paid a courtesy call on Saudi King Abdullah at the Royal Palace in Makkah on Friday night, according to a message received in Dhaka yesterday.

The king mentioned the spread of worldwide terrorism, as terrorist activities are being carried out in some places in the name of Islam.

The meeting, which began at 8:30pm (Saudi local time), lasted for an hour.

This was Khaleda's first meeting with King Abdullah after he assumed office as Saudi monarch.

The prime minister appreciated the initiative of King Abdullah for holding an extraordinary OIC summit at the end of the current year in Makkah and termed the initiative timely.

She hoped that the ensuing OIC summit likely to be held in December would provide new guidelines to counter the challenges faced by Muslim Ummah.

She wished the king good health and long life, and hoped that under his dynamic and able leadership, the people of Saudia Arabia and also the Muslim Ummah would achieve continued progress and prosperity.

The prime minister said Bangladesh gives great importance to the fraternal relationship with Saudi Arabia and hoped that the relations would reach a new height in the context of emerging global development.

She briefed the Saudi king about the successes achieved by her government in different sectors, including education, health and poverty alleviation.

The king appreciated the successes made by Bangladesh under the leadership of prime minister Khaleda Zia and assured all-out Saudi cooperation in maintaining this trend of development.

Apprising her government's various investment-friendly packages for the foreign investors, the prime minister hoped that the Saudi investors would come forward to invest in a bigger way in Bangladesh.

In response, King Abdullah said he would advise the Saudi business leaders and investors to visit Bangladesh to explore the business potentials.

Khaleda thanked the Saudi government for providing jobs for a large number of Bangladeshis in Saudi Arabia and said they are contributing to the economic progress of the two countries.

She hoped that Saudi Arabia would recruit more manpower from Bangladesh.

Khaleda invited King Abdullah to visit Bangladesh and the king accepted the invitation, saying the visit would take place at a mutually convenient time.

During the meeting, King Abdullah recalled the contributions of late president Ziaur Rahman towards the unity, solidarity and prosperity of the Muslim Ummah. He also mentioned Zia's role as a member of the Al-Quds committee to end the Iraq-Iran war.

The prime minister conveyed her personal condolence to the Saudi monarch at the death of King Fahd Bin Abdul Aziz.

She also conveyed sympathy to the Saudi royal family and the people of Saudi Arabia, terming late King Fahd a true friend of Bangladesh and said the people of Bangladesh were deeply shocked at King Fahd's death.

Prime Minister's youngest son Arafat Rahman, State Minister for Civil Aviation Mir Mohammad Nasir Uddin, Mohammad Mosaddek Ali MP and Bangladesh Ambassador to Saudi Arabia SM Ikramul Haque were present.

The prime minister is scheduled to return home tomorrow.