DHAKA, Feb 27, 2021 (BSS) – Foreign minister Dr AK Abdul Momen has said Dhaka wants stronger economic relations with the United States (US) along with more US investment and leveraging tariff on imports from Bangladesh.
Strong Bangladesh-US economic relations are critical and Bangladesh welcomes US investments, he said in a meeting with US Chamber of Commerce in Washington DC on Thursday, a foreign ministry press release said here today.
The US Chamber of Commerce organized a virtual discussion with Foreign Minister Dr. Momen titled as “Strengthening Bangladesh-US Trade and Economic Cooperation”.
During the discussion, the foreign minister expressed Bangladesh’s desire to work closely with the Biden Administration on climate, trade and investment, and security.
Momen called upon the US government, to help US consumers and also to assist millions of female workers in Bangladesh’s RMG sector, to put a three-year moratorium on the tariff on imports from Bangladesh.
He said the US companies can invest in Bangladesh’s renewable energy, shipbuilding and recycling, automobile and light engineering, chemical fertilizers, agro-processing, pharmaceuticals, ceramic and plastic goods, ICT, marine resource extraction, tourism and medical equipment sectors.
He also expressed his support for the launch of the US-Bangladesh Business Council and highlighted partnership opportunities in Bangladesh, opening of the digital economy space, digital payments and energy transition.
Momen highlighted the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for her vision for economic growth and transforming Bangladesh into a developed country by 2041.
Nisha Biswal, senior vice president (South Asia) of US Chamber of Commerce and former assistant secretary of state opened the discussion highlighting how Bangladesh has set a path towards strong economic growth and thus the interest from American corporates engagement with Bangladesh is growing.
The discussion, also featuring Bangladesh Ambassador to the US Shahidul Islam and US Department of State Deputy Assistant Secretary Laura Stone, focused on Bangladesh’s role as an evolving trade partner both globally and regionally through increasing US-Bangladesh bilateral economic activities. Corporate leaders from different sectors, including energy, banking, insurance, digital economy, financial services, healthcare, aerospace and defense, and others actively participated in the discussion.
The foreign minister is currently visiting Washington DC on an official trip to reach out the new US government to further enhance the bilateral relations and to convey Bangladesh’s willingness to work closely with the new Biden administration.