FM seeks Thai investment

Foreign Minister M Morshed Khan yesterday urged Thai entrepreneurs to invest in different prospective sectors in Bangladesh and said the government is ready to provide them with all supports.

"Tell us what do you want...we will do everything possible for the people of Thailand, specially for Chiang Mai to make your invested money here worthwhile." The minister was addressing members of the business community of Bangladesh and Thailand here.

The foreign minister referred to the visits of two prime ministers -- Khaleda Zia and Thaksin Sinhawatra -- to each other's country and said their visits had ushered in a new era for a broader relationship between Bangladesh and Thailand based on mutual faith and co-operation.

"Both the governments have undertaken a numbers of measures to boost trade and investment between the two countries," he said.

Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) organised the meeting at its conference room, attended by business leaders of Bangladesh and members of the visiting Thai trade delegation. Later, CCCI and the Thai trade delegation signed two MoUs to explore trade and investment potential in each other's country in future.

The 65-member Thai delegation led by the Governor of Chiang Mai Suwat Tantipat arrived here Wednesday on a five-day visit to explore trade and investment prospects in Bangladesh.

The meeting was also addressed by the Thai trade delegation leader Suwat Tantipat, Bangladesh Ambassador to Thailand Hemayetuddin, Executive Chairman of the Board of Investment (BoI) Mahmudur Rahman, Executive Chairman of the Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA) Brig Gen (Retd) Mofizur Rahman, President of Chiang Mai Chamber of Commerce (CMCC) Jumpol Chutima and CCCI President Amir Humayun Mahmud Chowdhury.

Morshed Khan thanked the business leaders of both the countries for their sincere efforts towards installing the current political and economic relations between Bangladesh and Thailand on a strong as well as solid footing.

He said Thai government's approval for duty-free access of 128 category Bangladeshi products to its market and visits of delegations are not enough to cement the long-term relationship between the two countries. "Still we have miles to go to materialise the visions of two prime ministers," he said.

Morshed Khan referred to tourism, healthcare, agro- processing, leather and construction as prospective fields for the Thai entrepreneurs to invest in Bangladesh.

He welcomed the ever-expanding ties between the two geographically and economically important cities, Chittagong and Chiang Mai, and said the Thai entrepreneurs could easily establish their industrial ventures here as the people of the port city are traditionally business oriented and hospitable like those in their northern province.

"Chittagong is also being considered a hub of shipping and other transports in the region," he said.