Prime Minister of Bangladesh, H.E. Sheikh Hasina called upon Global Businessmen and investors to explore and invest in Bangladesh to join hands in making the smooth journey of transforming Bangladesh into a developed, prosperous and Smart Bangladesh by 2041. The Prime Minister of Bangladesh, H.E. Sheikh Hasina opined this during the inauguration of the Bangladesh Business Summit at the Bangabandhu International Conference Center (BICC) in Dhaka on 11 March 2023 Saturday.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Commerce Ministry, and the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) are partnering the summit with the FBCCI.
The Prime Minister said: ‘I called upon you all to join our journey of us towards making Bangladesh a high income generated, developed, prosperous and innovative Smart Bangladesh by 2041.’
She congratulated the FBCCI for carrying fifty years of the golden path with the smooth and vibrant representation of the Private sector in the development of Bangladesh. The PM said, ‘I am deeply amazed that FBCCI organizing this summit at a time when the world trade is experiencing a critical time.
The Prime Minister mentioned that the summit will pave a platform to forge a long-term productive relationship with participants from around the world through investment, technology, a smooth and predictable supply chain, and integration with Global Value Chain for common benefits.
The Prime Minister reminded the business people from home and abroad that her government has been attaching topmost priority in improving the investment environment in Bangladesh to attract both local and foreign direct investments. In this context, she said the BIDA is implementing the Bangladesh Investment Climate Improvement Programme mainly to put an end to the bureaucratic red tape. The Govt. is working to implement the action once they are taken,” she added.
She said the global people have been suffering due to the essentials’ price hike and high inflation rate due to the global economic recession streaming from the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, Russia-Ukraine Crisis, economic sanctions, and counter-sanctions.
Earlier, in his welcome speech, the FBCCI President Md. Jashim Uddin said Bangladesh is strongly adapting the changes in global economic policy under the powerful and visionary leadership of our Hon’ble Prime Minister, the architect of digital Bangladesh. Her extraordinary diplomatic and strategic efforts have paved the way for pioneering a new era of global partnership on the economy, business, climate, and humanitarian priorities.’
Md. Jashim Uddin invited global business leaders to join in Bangladesh’s mega initiatives and to take the advantage of South Asia’s fastest-growing economy with a regional manufacturing hub for supply chains and demographic dividends.
we felt it was the appropriate time to focus the vast opportunities of Bangladesh to the global leaders to expand their business and relocate their industries. This is why for the first time we have organized this mega business event on a such global scale, he added.
Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momenh MP, Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi MP, Minister of Commerce of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Dr. Majid bin Abdullah Al Qasabi, Bhutan’s Trade, Industry and Employment Minister Karma Dorzi, Prime Minister’s Private Industry, and Investment Adviser Salman Fazlur Rahman MP, Deputy Director-General of the World Trade Organization Xiangchen Zhang, Anchor and Correspondent, and CNN Business editor-at-large Richard Quest, Executive Chairman of the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) Lokman Hossain Miah, ministers, diplomats and representatives of various multilateral organizations were present at the program.
Business Leaders Panel: Bangladesh – The Big Picture: Richard Quest, Anchor and Correspondent, and CNN Business editor-at-large spoke to the business leaders from major international companies and those responsible for creating a business environment in Bangladesh. There was also a presentation from CNN on the global media landscape and view of Bangladesh.
Richard Quest also spoke with Bangladesh’s Foreign Minister Dr. A. K. Abdul Momen, and Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi on their perspectives of Bangladesh’s development journey. The discussion was titled, ‘Bangladesh Growth Story: What’s the Future Roadmap’.
In the afternoon Three MoUs were signed between Saudi Arabia and Bangladesh to expand trade and commerce. Besides, FBCCI also signed a memorandum of understanding with China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPET).