DCCI seeks Malaysian co-op to boost Bangladeshi exports to ASEAN

Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) President Taskeen Ahmed has sought Malaysia’s overall cooperation in increasing exports of Bangladeshi products and services, including readymade garments, pharmaceuticals, electronics, IT-enabled services, jute and jute products, and food items, to countries in the ASEAN region.

He made the call at a programme titled “Malaysia-Bangladesh Business Forum: Expanding Business Cooperation”, organised by the National Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia (NCCIM).

At the programme, Taskeen Ahmed also urged Malaysian entrepreneurs to invest in Bangladesh to take advantage of the country’s large domestic market as well as the potential to expand exports of Malaysian products to other South Asian countries.

Separate bilateral trade and investment meetings between a DCCI business delegation and the National Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia (NCCIM) and the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturing (FMM) were held on Friday and Saturday (25 and 26 September) at the respective chambers’ premises in Kuala Lumpur.

Speaking at the programme, NCCIM President Norsiah Harun bin Hamdin said Malaysia has one of its important trade relations with Bangladesh among South Asian countries. He added that such business engagements would play a more effective role in expanding trade and investment between the two countries.

He said Malaysia mainly exports petroleum products to Bangladesh, but there is significant potential to expand the market for various Malaysian-made products among Bangladesh’s large and growing middle-class consumer base. He called on Malaysian entrepreneurs to take a more active role in harnessing this potential.

DCCI Senior Vice-President Rajib H. Chowdhury also delivered a keynote presentation on Bangladesh’s trade and investment prospects at the event.

Meanwhile, at a discussion titled “Strategic Forum: Bangladesh-Malaysia Business and Trade Opportunities”, organised by the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturing (FMM) on Friday, FMM President Jacob Lee Chor Kock welcomed the visiting delegation and said bilateral relations between Bangladesh and Malaysia have developed steadily over the past several decades.

Alongside the development of bilateral relations, he said, economic and trade engagements between the two countries have also continued to grow.

He said there is considerable scope to take the existing relationship to a new level through greater participation of the private sector, while opening up new areas of economic cooperation between the two countries.

He also observed that trade and investment cooperation could be strengthened further through increased interaction and engagement between the private sectors of the two countries.