US Chamber to collaborate with Bangladeshi start-ups

Collaboration between US private sector and Bangladeshi start-ups can be a powerful tool for the growth of US-Bangladesh economic relations, observed the US Chamber of Commerce.

The chamber observed after completing a four-day visit from May 8 to May 11 of a high-powered executive delegation of the chamber's US-Bangladesh Business Council to Dhaka, US Chamber of Commerce said in a statement on Friday.

The executive delegation was led by the council's board chair Chevron Vice President (Business Development) Jay R Pryor as the mission leader and joined by Visa and Excelerate Energy as corporate partners.

The delegation met Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and senior members of the Bangladesh government across trade and commerce, foreign affairs, finance, energy, digital economy, water and sustainability.

In the visit, the delegation was able to share their experience on access to finance and investing, ideas to capture different segments of an emerging economy, providing access to secure platforms to build new products and services, partnerships with the private sector to co-create products and solutions.

Celebrating the 50 years of US-Bangladesh relations and the importance of this partnership-building delegation, Jay R Pryor noted, "Productive, predictable, and constructive relations between the United States and Bangladesh are essential for US-based companies to operate in Bangladesh and set the stage for an investment and trade-driven economic strategy for the next 50 years of partnership. The council works to strengthen trade and investment, promote transparency, inclusion in market-based reforms so that coming decades continue to build prosperity and opportunity for the people of Bangladesh."

Director of the US-Bangladesh Business Council Sidhanta Mehra said, "The delegation's visit, joined by senior US industry leaders, is a reflection of the powerful partnership US industry is committed to building with Bangladesh. We are grateful for the warm hospitality of the Bangladeshi people. The council is dedicated to its mission to be a catalyst to support the bilateral economic relationship and provide the business community with a platform to lead on advocacy that promotes transparency, predictable and consultative policy making that encourages expanded trade and investment opportunities for US companies in Bangladesh."

The delegation ended its visit by meeting with over 30 Bangladeshi start-ups and partners at the Edward M Kennedy Center to ensure US companies are well connected to the talented youth and entrepreneurs of Bangladesh that are building state-of-the-art solutions across fintech, agriculture, water, food security, professional services, that are supporting Bangladesh's transition to a developed economy by 2041.