Dhaka, Mar 25 (UNB) – Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) on Monday urged Chinese entrepreneurs to invest in Bangladesh particularly in machinery manufacturing sector.
DCCI President Osama Taseer made the call while an 11-member delegation from Yunnan Province of China met with him at DCCI, according to a press release.
Osama said China is the largest trading partner of Bangladesh. In 2017-18 fiscal year, the bilateral trade between the two countries was $12.401 billion. Bangladesh imported $11,706 million ($11.7 billion) and exported to China about $694.97 million.
“The bilateral trade volume between these two friendly countries will reach $18 billion by 2021,” he also said.
He also said Bangladesh’s ‘Look East’ Policy is essentially designed to open up new avenues of cooperation with China and the ASEAN. Electrical and Electronics, Agriculture, Tourism, Flower, Medicine, Connectivity and Maritime can be some of the potential sectors for joint ventures.
Yuan Lin, Chinese delegation leader and deputy director of Foreign Trade Division in commerce department of Yunnan Province, said that Yunnan is the fourth largest machineries manufacturing province in China and they are interested to invest in Bangladesh.
“Moreover coffee, tobacco, rubber and flower are being produced in plenty in Yunnan. He requested Bangladeshi importers to consider Yunnan while importing these products,” he also said.
He said despite Bangladesh and Yunnan being geographically very close, the bilateral trade volume between Yunnan and Bangladesh is not at the expected level. He urged the businessmen of both the regions to work for increasing bilateral trade.
DCCI Vice President Imran Ahmed, Directors Alhaj Deen Mohammed, Enamul Haque Patwary, Hossain A Sikder, Engineer. Md. Al Amin, Mohammad Bashiruddin, Shams Mahmud and S.M. Zillur Rahman, former Vice Presidents M. Abu Hurairah and Shahidul Islam were also present there.
