Commerce ministry, DCCI to host trade & investment summit on Oct 26-Nov 01

The Ministry of Commerce and the Dhaka Chamber of Commerce & Industry (DCCI) will jointly host a weeklong virtual international business summit titled "Bangladesh Trade & Investment Summit" from next October 26 to November 1.

The objective of the summit will be to promote Bangladesh as an attractive trading and FDI destination to global businesses, to extend global integration on trade and investment into the new global reality and to secure investment in diverse priority and emerging industries for mutual benefits.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to inaugurate the Summit on October 26 as the chief guest, said a DCCI release.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will extend all possible support to successfully host the weeklong virtual summit.

Foreign Affairs Minister Dr A K Abdul Momen assured of his fullest cooperation to DCCI President Rizwan Rahman at a meeting held at the Foreign Ministry on Sunday, reports UNB.

With the theme 'Connecting the Economy of Tomorrow,' the meeting will discuss nine sectors underscoring critical enablers and avenues of the economy, demanding massive investments especially in Infrastructure (physical, logistics & Energy), IT/ITES & FINTECH, Leather Goods, Pharmaceuticals, Automotive & Light Engineering, Plastic Products, Agro & Food Processing, Jute & Textiles, FMCG and Retail Businesses.

Hundreds of entrepreneurs from more than 50 countries of five major regions --Americas, Europe, Middle East & West Asia, Asia & Pacific and Africa-- are expected to join for Business to Business (B2B) matchmaking sessions every day.

There will be a series of sector specific webinars where dignitaries, ministers, high government officials, researchers, think tanks, economists, policy makers and academicians both from home and abroad will join. More than 160 B2B sessions are expected to be held with the participation of over 320 business entrepreneurs.

In Sunday's meeting, Dr Momen said it would be a very timely initiative to highlight the readiness of Bangladesh to lure foreign investments. Not only the foreign investors but also the Bangladeshi diaspora living abroad have keen interest to invest in their motherland, he said.

DCCI President Rizwan Rahman said despite the Covid crunch, Bangladesh has registered a remarkable 5.47 per cent GDP growth in FY2021. The confidence of the global investors in Bangladesh has increased as some bold and strategic reforms are consistently being taken considering the changing geo-economic dynamics and private sector needs.

He sought cooperation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to disseminate the summit information to businesses around the globe through all its diplomatic missions in foreign countries.