The 1st ‘Commonwealth Trade and Investment Forum’ will be held in Dhaka on September 13-14 to foster partnerships, promote innovation, and explore avenues for sustainable and inclusive economic development for Bangladesh.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to inaugurate the Forum which will see participants from Commonwealth nations.
The Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council (CWEIC) briefed the media on Sunday in this regard at a Dhaka hotel.
Salman F Rahman, Private Industry and Investment Adviser to the Prime Minister; Lord Swire KCMG, Member of the House of Lords of the United Kingdom and Deputy Chairman of the CWEIC; Md. Shahriar Alam, State Minister for Foreign Affairs; Zillur Hussain MBE, Strategic Advisor, Bangladesh, CWEIC, among others, were present at the press conference.
This is the first Commonwealth Trade and Investment Forum to be organized in Bangladesh.
Previously the Forum was organized in other member states of the Commonwealth such as the United Kingdom, Singapore, Kenya, Rwanda, Malta etc.
Commonwealth is a voluntary association of 56 countries united by common values and is home to one-third of the world's population. Bangladesh joined the Commonwealth as its 34th Member in 1972.
Speaking at the event, Salman F Rahman said, “Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, right after the independence of the country, joined the Commonwealth with the vision of gaining mutual cooperation from the member states."
When Bangladesh joined the Commonwealth, he said, the country was in its infant stage – struggling with a war-torn economy and a ravaged infrastructure in the aftermath of the Liberation War.
Over time, Bangladesh attained tremendous development on its economic fronts, Rahman said.
Under the able leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Bangladesh is graduating into a middle-income country in 2026.
“This achievement became possible with the immense hard work of the nation, along with support from its development partners like the Commonwealth members. Some of the largest trade partners of Bangladesh are Commonwealth members,” he said.
Lord Swire KCMG, Member of the House of Lords of the United Kingdom and Deputy Chairman of the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council (CWEIC), said, “The Commonwealth is an amazing opportunity for Bangladeshi companies to explore – 56 countries of untapped potential and limitless possibilities.”
He said there will be plenary and roundtable discussions focusing on key economic issues. “We hope it will be an exciting and fruitful event,” Lord Swire KCMG said, adding that they are expecting 400-500 delegates at the Forum.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam said that the Commonwealth must address the vulnerabilities of LDCs, LLDCs, SIDS, and countries with special needs, focusing on areas such as the continuation of their trade-related GSPs beyond LDC graduation, private capital flows and flexible financing for green technology transfer.
He hoped that the Forum will offer an excellent opportunity to build new partnership.
The State Minister highlighted the facilities and said the government is committed to removing bottlenecks, if any.
Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) executive chairman Lokman Hossain Miah said the Forum will be showcasing multi-billion dollar investment opportunities in Bangladesh.
“For us, it is a deeply significant and exciting opportunity. It is a strong recognition of our economic progress and future potential, which we have achieved under the visionary and dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina,” Lokman Hossain said.
As the country’s apex investment promotion agency, he said, BIDA will take full advantage of the opportunities that this Forum will create.
“We will also seamlessly deliver investment services to businesses that are interested to explore opportunities in Bangladesh,” he added.
Zillur Hussain MBE, Strategic Advisor, Bangladesh, Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council, said heads of the states, political and business leaders of the Commonwealth members will be attending the Commonwealth Trade and Investment Forum this year in Dhaka.
“So, the Forum will offer a platform for promoting trade, investment, and economic growth. It aims to foster partnerships, promote innovation, and explore avenues for sustainable and inclusive economic development for Bangladesh,” he said.
