The president of Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI), Md Jashim Uddin, has called upon the investors of United Arab Emirates (UAE) to choose Bangladesh as their next investment destination.
He made the call at the Bangladesh Economic Forum in Dubai organised by Pan Asia Group and BIDA on Thursday, said a press release.
Md Jashim said, “We have a very favorable investment policy and incentives with huge resources for 100 per cent value addition in different sectors like jute, leather, agriculture, frozen fish, handicrafts and home textiles. UAE can choose Bangladesh as their next destination for trade and investment.”
He also said that there are huge untapped potentials from both Bangladesh and the UAE to enhance bilateral trade and investment.
Bangladesh exported $500 million to UAE in the financial year 2020-21, while the import was $ 1.3 billion. The UAE is the 13th largest investor in Bangladesh.
The FBCCI president noted that geographical advantage makes Bangladesh the gateway of South Asia and ASEAN countries. Moreover, investors could enter into the Chinese market by investing in Bangladesh as it is located very close to China.
Bangladesh also has a huge domestic market of 170 million people. The country has a total labor force of 68.5 million people which is the seventh largest in the world. Bangladesh is also sufficient in producing enough electricity for industrial plants, he added.
Talking about the infrastructural readiness, the FBCCI chief said 100 economic zones, 26 IT parks, sector-based cluster parks, six EPZs and tourism parks across the country make Bangladesh one of the most attractive destinations for foreign investors.
Jashim called for enhanced cooperation in development in innovation, energy, ports and logistics, MSMEs, ICT, RMG, agro-business and halal food processing, plastics, electrical and electronics, light engineering, banking, insurance, jute, leather, tourism, skills development and knowledge transfer to facilitate the transition of the 4IR.
Also present on the occasion were Foreign Minister Abdul Momen, Private Industry and Investment Advisor to Prime Minister Salman F Rahman, Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) Executive Chairman Sirajul Islam, BSEC Chairman Prof Shibli Rubayat-Ul-Islam and President of Bangladesh Business Council, Dubai Mahtabur Rahman Nasir.
