FM urges Indian businessmen to promote Dhaka-Delhi trade

Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen has urged Indian businessmen to invest in Bangladesh and take advantage of the congenial investment regime of the country.

He stressed developing the two Special Economic Zones (SEZs) located at Mirsarai and Mongla dedicated to India in an expeditious manner so that more investment can be accommodated, reads a foreign ministry press release issued Monday.

The foreign minister made the remark while receiving a business delegation from the Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) from India in the afternoon at the foreign ministry.

Momen, during his interaction with the delegation, expressed his satisfaction with the excellent bilateral relationship between Bangladesh and India.

He noted that both Bangladesh and India have made remarkable growth in trade and investment in recent years.

He urged that the two countries should work together to complement each other's economies, especially, when the world is experiencing economic recession due to the Covid-19 pandemic and ongoing geopolitical crisis.

Momen noted that due to the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, regional stability has been ensured, which has benefited both countries to augment economic growth.

The foreign minister stressed working for the promotion of bilateral trade and commerce in a balanced manner and emphasized removing all kinds of trade barriers, especially, tariff and non-tariff barriers for enhancement of trade volume between Bangladesh and India.

The Indian delegation appreciated the recent remarkable socio-economic growth achieved under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

They expressed their readiness to engage with various business bodies for promoting trade and commerce with a view to achieving economic development in both countries.

They also expressed their keen interest in investing in Bangladesh, especially in the health, education and power sectors.

They also proposed to launch the BIMSTEC Chamber of Commerce to promote trade and commerce amongst the BIMSTEC member states. Foreign Minister appreciated the idea and assured of extending necessary support in this regard.

Indian Chamber of Commerce which was set up in 1925 has a special focus on promoting trade and commerce in the South Asian and South East Asian countries. They are visiting Dhaka from 6-8 August 2023 and meeting various Chambers and business houses in Bangladesh.

/KN/