GE to debut outsourcing in Bangladesh

US industrial giant General Electric (GE) plans to outsource jobs to Bangladesh for the first time, presenting a huge opportunity in the outsourcing business.

GE, which employs around 40,000 people in India alone -- mainly in the outsourcing sector -- will initially provide jobs to a company founded by Bangladeshi expatriates in the US.

Mi3 Inc, based in the US, will invest around $300 million in Bangladesh initially to set up facilities to receive work orders from GE, said company officials at a function in Dhaka on Wednesday.

"Initially we will employ about 2,000 people in our outsourcing office," said Marfia Zakir, Mi3 country director for Bangladesh.

Zakir said her company wants to invest over $2 billion to develop the high-tech park at Kaliakoir in Gazipur under public private partnership, if they get the green light from the government.

Speaking as chief guest, State Minister for Science and ICT Yeafesh Osman said the government is developing infrastructure for the IT sector.

Trimothy Norton, an official of Vendor Management Organisation of GE, said GE is open to all the countries and its arrival could bring the same result for Bangladesh as for India.

The 11-hour time difference between Bangladesh and the US can be a strong opportunity for the former to receive outsourcing business orders, said Duck Diction, chief executive officer of Mi3 USA.

Brac University Vice Chancellor Prof Jamilur Reza Choudhury, Aftabul Islam, president of American Chamber of Commerce, also spoke at the function.