Bangladesh keen to contribute to global productivity, finance networks: FM

Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Wednesday said Bangladesh is looking for opportunities where it could contribute meaningfully to the global productivity and finance networks together with the Netherlands.

"Blue economy and the circular economy are avenues where we could imagine, envision and create more work," he said adding that RMG and leather products are Bangladesh's pride.

The Foreign Minister was addressing the 5th international conference on inclusive business as the chief guest.

Dutch-Bangla Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DBCCI) and SNV Netherlands Development Organisation in Bangladesh hosted the event at a city hotel.
Md. Sirazul Islam, Executive Chairman, BIDA attended the programme as the special guest.

Ismene Stalpers, Country Director, SNV Bangladesh, Kevin Teo, COO, AVPN, attended the event online as the guest of honour.

DBCCI Board of Directors Md. Shahjahan Shaju, Vice President Md Shakawat Hossain Mamun, Secretary-General, Ataus Sopan Malik, Joint Secretary General Noafel Bin Reza, Director Finance, Md. Nazmul Haque, Shahid Alam, Director were present. Farzana Afser, First Lady of DBCCI and Managing Partner of TRIMOYEE were also present at the event.

Farhtheeba Rahat Khan, Team Leader, RMG Inclusive Business Programs, SNV Bangladesh delivered the keynote speech on the subject.

Jamal Uddin, Inclusive Business Consultant, RMG Inclusive Business Program, SNV Netherlands Development Organisation in Bangladesh led the panel sessions.

With the theme “Inclusive Investment for Poverty Resilient”, this year's conference aims to find solutions on how business inclusion could contribute to eradication.

The Foreign Minister said value is not intrinsic, it is contextual.

"The value of a commodity or even an idea depends on the way the actors in a given time and space perceive or conceive its value. It is thus important that we correctly identify the relevant parametric tests to examine and evaluate what matters to us. It is only with greater collaboration that our pay-off matrix becomes positive," he said.

Dr Momen said both the Dutch and the people of Bangladesh are resilient and have braved the inclement climates and survived.

"There must have been something common to both our nations which we can leverage for greater benefits to both and beyond," he said.

Dr Momen said the Netherlands is the seventh largest investor in Bangladesh in 2019. "The two-way trade has increased."

Md. Anwar Shawkat Afser, President, Dutch-Bangla Chamber, presided over the inaugural session.

Afser said that DBCCI and SNV are jointly working on this inclusive business concept to cooperate with Bangladesh to turn poverty into prosperity.

The sectors they work on energy and water, sanitation and hygiene are very important in context with our present demand.

He thanked the people of the Netherlands, their prudent government leaders and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Dhaka for their earnest cooperation for our country.

It came out from the discussion that the new challenges demanded for extra skills and knowledge in the supply chain and business has the potential risk factor to address those situations.

The new trends of the business in the changing world may create more opportunities in the supply chain to explore diversity and inclusion.