State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam said the Bangladesh government is ready to offer one or more special economic zones to Qatari investors exclusively, which they can develop and operate as per their needs.
He was addressing a seminar on 'Foreign Direct Investment Opportunities in Bangladesh' at Ritz Carlton Hotel in Doha, Qatar, on Saturday.
The Bangladesh Forum Qatar in cooperation with the Qatar Financial Centre (QFC) organised the event.
Head of business of the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al Thani, a large number of Qatari investors, business leaders, CEO of banks and financial institutions, and Head of diplomatic missions in Doha attended the seminar.
In his remarks, the state minister said that Bangladesh has already crossed the LDC threshold in March this year and is on the track to be a developed country by 2041.
He said that Bangladesh exports medicines to about 100 countries and aspire to become a major player in the pharmaceutical sector with 20 per cent growth.
He also said that the Bangladesh government is working to position Bangladesh as a manufacturing-distribution-logistics hub taking advantage of its geo-strategic location.
He invited the Qatari investors to invest in capital market, energy, telecommunications and IT, petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, shipbuilding, agro-processing, human resource development, water and marine and other infrastructure projects and hi-tech manufacturing sector in Bangladesh.
At the seminar, he proposed Qatari investors to form Bangladesh-Qatar Investment Forum as a more formal approach to explore and identify areas of cooperation.
He also sought Qatari investment to establish centres of excellence in Bangladesh to upgrade skills of Qatar-bound Bangladeshi workers, particularly the young workforce.
Executive Chairman of Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) Kazi M Aminul Islam said Bangladesh welcomes any investment which is futuristic and offers high value products, and which is based on knowledge.
Bangladesh Ambassador to Qatar Ashud Ahmed highlighted that the growing Bangladeshi community in Qatar has been contributing not only to people-to-people contacts between the two countries but also contributing to the development of trade and investment.
Chief Executive Officer of the Qatar Financial Centre (QFC) Yousuf Al Jaida commented that the seminar was an eye-opener for Qatari Business leaders and prospective investors who did not know much about Bangladesh, particularly what Bangladesh can offer for Qatari investors.
