Turkey-Bangladesh trade, investment to see high prospect in future: DCCI

The trade and investment opportunities between Bangladesh and Turkey will see high prospects in future, said Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industries (DCCI) President Rizwan Rahman.

An 86-member business delegation of the DCCI is visiting Istanbul of Turkey to explore new trade and investment opportunities and attended the Turkey-Bangladesh business forum arranged by the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday, according to a news release.

Dhaka Chamber President Rizwan said the bilateral trade between Bangladesh and Turkey was $871.55 million in fiscal 2020-21 which is in favour of Bangladesh.

“Turkey is the 23rd largest export destination of Bangladesh. Turkey is the 29th largest foreign investor in Bangladesh amounting $30.51 million.”

Bangladesh and Turkey can work and advocate together to form an effective D-8 economic bloc, said Rizwan.

He urged Turkey to transfer state-of-the-art industrial technology. He also urged for capacity building of SMEs, research collaboration, strengthening agro-value chain and knowledge exchange.

He later invited Turkish investors to invest in Bangladesh as well as import more from Bangladesh.

In welcome note, Burhan Polat, executive board member of the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce, said Bangladesh is one of the important countries in the South Asian region in terms of trade and investment and Bangladesh is maintaining a steady economic growth for the last few decades, he added.

Bangladesh in recent times is doing better in the leather, pharmaceutical, RMG and light engineering sector, Burhan said. “Turkish market is one of the potential places for Bangladeshi entrepreneurs.”

To boost bilateral trade he urged to sign a trade agreement.

He also stressed on enhancing liaison between the private sectors of these two countries.

Istanbul Chamber, one the largest trade organisations in the world with more than 6 lakh members, will be happy to extend its full out cooperation to the Bangladeshi investors to explore new investment opportunities in Turkey, said the executive board member.

Later the business delegation members of Dhaka Chamber had an interactive business to business matchmaking with more than 350 Turkish companies of different manufacturing and service sectors after the business forum. After that Rizwan Rahman had a separate meeting with Istanbul Chamber of Commerce President Şekib Avdagiç.