Chattogram Chamber urges US businessmen to invest in port city
Chattogram Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Omar Hajjaj has urged US investors to explore various sectors in Bangladesh, including renewable energy, petroleum, leather, jute, food processing, agro, health, and pharmaceuticals.
During a productive meeting among leaders of the Chattogram Chamber and John Fay, the United States Commercial Counselor assigned to Bangladesh, Omar Hajjaj offered the full support of the Chattogram Chamber for potential investments.
This exchange meeting took place at the Chamber's office located at the World Trade Center in Agrabad on a Monday.
The Chattogram Chamber president emphasised that Bangladesh has gained prominence as a crucial trade and investment centre for the United States, as evidenced by the establishment of the Commercial Counselor office at the US Embassy in Bangladesh for the first time.
He credited this achievement to the sustained development efforts of the present government.
Omar Hajjaj emphasised that the time is ripe to bolster bilateral trade and investment, leveraging the recent infrastructural development and the abundant workforce to position Bangladesh as a manufacturing hub for the United States.
John Fay, the US Embassy's commercial counsellor, noted the remarkable progress in infrastructure and connectivity in Bangladesh.
He highlighted the increasing interest of US investors in the vast consumer market, boasting 170 million people and a rising per capita income.
To fully unlock the substantial potential of bilateral trade and investment, he stressed the need to streamline financial transaction policies for foreign investors.
Additionally, John Fay underlined the importance of simplifying and expediting essential services, such as customs and port operations, alongside improvements in logistics infrastructure.
He expressed the keen interest of American investors in modernising Bangladesh's healthcare sector and looked forward to collaborating with the Chattogram Chamber to foster bilateral trade.
Chattogram Chamber's Vice President Raisa Mahbub, Director AKM Akther Hossain, Ahid Siraj Chowdhury (Swapan), Anjan Shekhar Das, Md Rakibur Rahman (Tutul), Mahfuzul Hoque Shah, Mohammed Adnan Ul Islam, Omar Muktadir, Embassy Commercial Specialist Abir Barua and Chamber officials were also present.