Bangladesh urges Canadian investors to invest in bigger way

Bangladesh has urged Canadian investors and Bangladeshi Diaspora to bring in bigger investment in the country.

Commerce Secretary Shubhashish Bose made the call while addressing a 'luncheon meeting' for attracting Canadian Diaspora organised by Canada Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry or CanCham Bangladesh in the city recently.

Canadian High Commissioner in Dhaka Benoit Prefontaine and CanCham Bangladesh President also spoke on the occasion, reports UNB.

Bangladesh needs huge Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), Mr Bose said.

He said that the bilateral trade has been growing at a faster rate than before due to duty free market access.

Export of Bangladesh reached US $1.61 billion in 2017-18, 95 per cent of which are garment items, said the CanCham on Monday.

He also mentioned that lots of people are going to Canada in search of business and many students are going for quality education.

Bose said awarding honorary membership to Iqbal Roshd, a very successful Canadian entrepreneur of Bangladeshi origin, will be a great encouragement to Bangladeshi entrepreneurs.

Roshd was also appointed as a special representative of CanCham Bangladesh in the province of Ontario, Canada.

While handing over the membership certificate and the appointment letter, CanCham Bangladesh President Masud Rahman hoped that Roshd would take all possible steps to encourage Canadian entrepreneurs including Bangladeshi Diaspora for trade, investment and technology transfer from Canada to Bangladesh, particularly in organising a Diaspora Meet-Up in Canada next year.

Benoit Prefontaine stressed the importance of bringing in Bangladeshi Diaspora from Canada to exploit the great opportunity existing in Bangladesh.

The envoy said Canada government is also attaching high priority to Bangladesh and taking a number of steps to facilitate business between the two countries.

Prefontaine said that the posting of a Senior Trade Commissioner in Bangladesh office for the first time is a proof of it.

He also mentioned that they have relaxed the travel advisory alert for Bangladesh and hoped that more Canadians would now visit to Bangladesh.

The envoy expressed his desire to work closely with the government of Bangladesh as well as CanCham Bangladesh and praised the strategic decision of CanCham Bangladesh to reach out to business person in Canada like Iqbal Roshd.

He also assured to provide full support in continuing this type of event.