Prothom Alo
Leading US investors in Bangladesh, represented by the US-Bangladesh Business Council, met Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on at the State Guest House Jamuna in Dhaka on Monday.
They expressed their commitment to champion a growing Bangladesh-US economic partnership and to help catalyze and support mutually beneficial commercial relations between the two nations.
The delegation was led by Peter Haas, former US Ambassador to Bangladesh and Strategic Advisor at Excelerate Energy, and included representatives from Meta, Visa, Chevron, Uber, MetLife, Mastercard, Boeing and the US Soybean Export Council.
Excelerate Energy chairs the board of directors of the US Chamber of Commerce’s US-Bangladesh Business Council.
The meeting, which took place on the sidelines of the Bangladesh Investment Summit, focused on strengthening trade and investment ties between the two countries.
US companies expressed their support for a positive and constructive relationship with the Interim Government to support a strong commercial and economic partnership, Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam said.
“US companies have a long-term commitment to the growth story of Bangladesh, one that is anchored in resilience, entrepreneurship and long-term prosperity,” said Haas.
The delegation welcomed the Interim Government’s forward-leaning approach to economic reforms that address trade and non-tariff barriers.
Nisha Desai Biswal, who previously served as Deputy CEO of DFC and Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, reaffirmed the commitment of US companies that have invested in Bangladesh.
The delegation offered to work with the Interim Government to identify steps that Bangladesh can take to address the trade imbalance and attract further US investment.
“American companies are at the heart of Bangladesh’s growth. We want to ensure that Bangladesh positions itself effectively in these conversations,” she said, referring to the ongoing tariff discussions.
Prof Yunus thanked the executives for the contributions that American companies have made to Bangladesh’s development and promised the Interim Government’s full support to overcome obstacles and improve the ease of doing business.