{"id":77971,"date":"2022-05-10T14:03:09","date_gmt":"2022-05-10T14:03:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/en.bornomalanews.com\/?p=77971"},"modified":"2022-05-10T14:03:42","modified_gmt":"2022-05-10T14:03:42","slug":"pm-urges-us-companies-to-boost-investment-in-bangladesh","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/en.bornomalanews.com\/?p=77971","title":{"rendered":"PM urges US companies to boost investment in Bangladesh"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Dhaka:<\/strong> Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday said Bangladesh needs enhanced investment from its friendly countries, especially from the USA, as it aspires to become a developed and prosperous country by 2041.<\/p>\n

\u201cBangladesh has been recommended to graduate from the LDC in 2026. We are aspiring to become a developed and prosperous country by 2041. For that purpose, we need enhanced investment from our friendly countries, especially from the USA,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

The prime minister said this at a meeting with the first-ever visiting Executive Business Delegation of the US-Bangladesh Business Council at her official residence Ganabhaban.<\/p>\n

She said that Bangladesh is now an attractive investment destination. Along with physical infrastructure, the government has upgraded and eased the rules and regulations relating to investment and business.<\/p>\n

\u201cBangladesh has the most liberal investment policy in South Asia and that foreign investment is protected by acts of Parliament and bilateral treaties,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Highlighting her government's development programmes she mentioned that the entire country has recently been brought under electricity coverage.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are upgrading our road, railway and water communications by implementing some mega projects,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Hasina told the delegation that her government is setting up 100 special economic zones for domestic and foreign investors across the country.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe may earmark one of the zones exclusively for the US investors, if you desire so,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

She said that demographic dividend, and government\u2019s focus on developing skilled manpower ensures that investors here get skilled human resources at competitive wages.<\/p>\n

The prime minister said that Bangladesh-US friendship is based on common values and shared interests and it is reflected in expanding overall business relations.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur trade relations can be further strengthened with duty-free access and other trade privileges in the US market,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

In this regard she said Bangladesh is ready to commence Free Trade Agreement-FTA negotiations with the US at an appropriate time.<\/p>\n

She mentioned that export volume increased by more than USD 3 billion during the last five years. The export volume rose to USD 7.6 billion in 2021-22 from USD 5.8 billion in 2016-17.<\/p>\n

Since independence, she said, the US has been one of the trusted development partners and it is contributing to Bangladesh\u2019s socio-economic progress. The USA is the single largest source of FDI and export market for Bangladesh.<\/p>\n

\u201cI believe US companies will take the advantage and invest more in potential sectors like power and energy, ICT, infrastructure, light engineering products, mobile phone and electronic goods, automobile, agro-processing, pharmaceuticals, ceramics, among others.\u201d<\/p>\n

She said that the government is pursuing a long-term growth strategy for its citizens which is sustainable as acknowledged by the global economists and organisations.<\/p>\n

Hasina said that the government has taken pledge to realise the \u201cGolden Bangla\u2019\u2019, the dream of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to turn Bangladesh into a poverty- and hunger-free prosperous country.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith such strong prospect, I would now assure you of the best possible policy framework to ease our business and investment climate,” she told the delegation.<\/p>\n

She hoped that the US-Bangladesh Energy Taskforce which was launched in September 2021 will help advance energy cooperation between the stakeholders of both countries.<\/p>\n

\u201cLikewise, the proposed US-Bangladesh Digital Economy Taskforce will contribute in deepening the cooperation of companies of both countries to ensure our sustainable development.\u201d<\/p>\n

She hoped that the business delegation would be able to understand the congenial atmosphere and feel confident for their potential investment in Bangladesh.<\/p>\n

In this connection, she said that Bangladesh is now recognised for the state-of-the-art manufacturing factories in various sectors like RMG, leather, plastic, jute, ICT, agro-processing and many more.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is our TIME now and please make your TIME taking opportunities of our conducive investment regime. I wish every success of the US-Bangladesh Business Council,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Board Chair of US-Bangladesh Business Council Jay R. Pryor, Board members of the US-Bangladesh Business Council and business executives from Bangladesh and US also spoke at the meeting.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dhaka: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday said Bangladesh needs enhanced investment from its friendly countries, especially from the USA, as it aspires to become a developed and prosperous country by 2041. \u201cBangladesh has been recommended to graduate from the LDC in 2026. We are aspiring to become a developed and prosperous country by 2041. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":77972,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[12,2],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\t\n