The Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry signed an agreement at Sharjah chamber on Thursday with an aim to expand export of Bangladeshi products to Sharjah and increase bilateral investment.聽
President of the Dhaka chamber Taskeen Ahmed and chairman of the Sharjah chamber Abdallah Sultan Al Owais signed the agreement.
Speaking on the occasion, Taskeen Ahmed urged the investors of Sharjah to come to Bangladesh to invest in the infrastructure sector adding that it would help boost bilateral trade and commerce as well as attract other foreign investors to come.聽
He also called upon the entrepreneurs of Sharjah to invest in Bangladesh鈥檚 IT sector, leveraging the potential of the large youth population of Bangladesh, said a DCCI press release.
鈥楾here is a lot of potential to invest in the environmental friendly jute products for more diversification in this sector,鈥� he added.聽
Currently, a UAE-based bank is operating its businesses in Bangladesh. He therefore invited other banks of UAE, including Sharjah Islami Bank, to establish their offshore banking in Bangladesh that would further expand bilateral trade and investment.
Taskeen Ahmed also suggested since Bangladesh government offered various incentives to foreign investors while investing in the economic zones, through availing this opportunity Sharjah entrepreneurs could invest in leather and leather goods, electronics, home appliances, footwear and food processing industries in the EZs.聽
The DCCI president opined that exchange of experience and technical expertise of Sharjah in the field of logistic sector would be beneficial for the development of this sector in Bangladesh.聽
He also added that Bangladesh could be one of the gateways for UAE鈥檚 export to various markets in South and Southeast Asia.聽
Abdallah Sultan Al Owais, chairman of the Sharjah chamber, said that in the last few decades, Bangladesh鈥檚 products, including readymade garments, had been exported to different countries of America, Europe and the Middle East and the export rate was continuously increasing, which is very promising.
But, East and West African countries are also potential destinations for Bangladesh鈥檚 export and in that case UAE can be considered as a gateway to enter into that market.聽
He said that more than 1 million Bangladeshi were now working in the UAE in different professions, but to create more employment opportunities there, it was necessary to pay more attention to the skill development.聽
On the occasion, a B2B match-making session was held between the businessmen of Sharjah chamber and the members of the DCCI business delegation.聽
DCCI senior vice-president Razeev H Chowdhury and vice-president Md Salem Sulaiman were also present at the meeting.