The 23-member UKBCCI Trade Mission, running a busy work-schedule for a week, has ended their Bangladesh visit after having over 20 successful meetings and high level exchange of views with all the stakeholders in country regarding their preset large scale investment endeavor in Bangladesh. The top notch trade body from Britain, being cordially welcomed and suitably assured by the government, now is looking forward to make these investments, particularly, in key development sectors like, health and education, ICT, pharmaceutical, skill development, garments and other export oriented ventures, tourism and hospitality, housing, as well as the infrastructure.
The trade body comprising a band of Bangladesh-born-British businessmen and entrepreneurs actually found their sole motivation from an inspiring call made by the Prime Minister of the country Sheikh Hasina to invest in Bangladesh, hence made their second visit to their motherland on the occasion of the 5th year anniversary of UKBCCI, that was established in 2014 with the view to engage in business as a catalyst for bilateral business promotion between Bangladesh and the UK.
During the visit, the UKBCCI delegates had meetings with the Advisor to the Prime Minister on private business and industry Mr. Salman F Rahman, who commended the investment initiative and advised to seek for an exclusive zone at the export oriented industrial zones to set up their new ventures, which was highly appreciated by the visiting delegation. Other top government personnel, business bodies and members of the authority like Commerce Minister, Industry Minister, Expatriate Welfare Minister, FBCCI, DCCI, CCCI, CDA, SCCI, SCC Mayor and Bangladesh High Tech Park Authority, BEZA and BIDA also expressed their keen interest and encouraged the visiting trade body promising all the assistance and support one might need as an entrepreneur and as an investor in Bangladesh.
During the high profile visit, on the other hand, the UKBCCI delegates headed by its President Bajloor Rashid MBE expressed their willingness to promote the young entrepreneurs who would soon stand at the helm of the nation steering its growth and economy. On the eve of their departure, the UKBCCI trade body also expressed deep satisfaction for all the support and cooperation extended to them by the native soil counterpart and hoped their bilateral enterprise would materialize before long. The achievement of the visit would be observed and evaluated, and eventually roll into the process of implementation.
UKBCCI also elaborated on how the British-Bangladeshis in the UK now in their third and fourth generation have been making their success footprints in the global arena and how this new generation has deep emotion for Bangladesh which they always know as their root. They hoped these young entrepreneurs will play a key role in the future development of Bangladesh. They also praised the ongoing development spree of Bangladesh undertaken by the government and the private sector leaders. UKBCCI President Bajloor Rashid MBE thanked on every occasion the authority for creating this opportunity for the British-Bangladeshi businessmen.
BIDA executive chairman Kazi Aminul Islam said Bangladesh is quite different from the country that anytime earlier, and called this a perfect moment for investing in Bangladesh. DCCI proposed a bilateral exchange of entrepreneurs program for mutual benefit. Sylhet Mayor Ariful Haque Chowdhury called on the business delegates to invest in the infrastructural of Sylhet and turn it into a smart city. NRB Bank said they would provide all banking cooperation regarding their investment. Meeting with the Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry discussed on bilateral investments while Chittagong Development Authority invited the team to invest in Chittagong Master Plan besides housing and development.
One of the notable meetings was held with the State Minister for Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment Mr. Imran Ahmed where the UKBCCI disclosed the fact that the UK curry industry can employ 30,000 skilled Bangladeshi chef and workers in 12,000 restaurants in Britain which are owned by the Bangladeshis. The President also made a proposal for building a Chef Institute with the view to build skilled manpower for the purpose that was appreciated by the Minister.
While at a meeting at the British High Commission, Mr. Kanbar Hossein Bor, the Acting British High Commissioner praised the success of the UKBCCI team who were here to explore opportunities and called on them as well to attract investment to the UK. He also mentioned that Bangladesh is on the up and is becoming more prosperous. He informed the delegates that special Priority Visa Service would be provided for the business people enabling them to get visa within 4 days only, with the view to promote business environment. Besides, he also urged the UKBCCI to help get that message out to a wider audience in the UK to encourage more British businesses to come here. He called the Diaspora as a living bridge between the UK and Bangladesh that could be instrumental in helping economic growth in both countries.
-rmc//
