$1.16b foreign proposals came in investment summit: DCCI president

Foreign participating companies in the Bangladesh Trade and Investment Summit 2021 have shown interest to invest $1.16 billion in Bangladesh, Rizwan Rahman, president of Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI), said today.

“We have received expression of interest for foreign investment in the summit particularly in infrastructure sector, which we will forward to the commerce ministry.”

Rahman spoke at a press briefing to highlight the outcome of the summit at the chamber’s conference room in Dhaka today.

The commerce ministry and the DCCI jointly organised the seven-day event that ended yesterday.

Some 552 business organisations from 38 countries took part in the summit where 369 business-to-business meetings have been held, he said.

According to him, some 20 companies from 13 countries showed their interest to go for joint ventures, 26 products have been identified as potential export items from Bangladesh.

Five countries showed their interest for direct investment in Bangladesh’s infrastructure, pharmaceuticals, baby bottle, umbrella, agro and food processing and IT sectors, he said.

Power, energy, renewable energy, dairy products, fast-moving consumer goods, readymade garment, leather, automobile and jute are some of the sectors that have foreign investment opportunities, he noted.

Rahman said Bangladesh has the ability to grab the huge opportunity from African, Asia and Pacific and Middle Eastern countries in terms of inward or outward investments.

Addressing the press conference, Tapan Kanti Ghosh, commerce secretary, said the potential of commerce and investment in post-Covid-19 Bangladesh has been highlighted in the event.