Dutch see Bangladesh as SE Asian investment gateway

Dutch businesses want to use Bangladesh as a gateway for investing in South and Southeast Asia as the country has the potential to be a regional hub for foreign investment.

The observation came at a high-level seminar on Bangladesh’s investment and business, at a hotel in The Hague on Monday. The Dutch-Bangla Chamber of Commerce and Industries (DBCCI) organised the event in association with  Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) and with support from the embassy, the Dutch foreign affairs ministry and the Netherlands Enterprise Agency.  A 43-member business and government delegation from Bangladesh and potential Dutch investors and importers attended the seminar styled “Bangladesh Emerging Big: A Beacon of Opportunities”, the Bangladesh embassy in the Netherlands  said in a statement yesterday.

 Kazi M Aminul Islam, executive chairman of the BIDA, and Guido Landheer, deputy director general of the Foreign Economic Relations of the Dutch ministry, represented the respective sides.

Top Bangladeshi executives from leading agriculture and aquaculture companies and sectors involving ICT, dredging and delta management, port development and operation, food processing, textiles, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, energy, renewable energy, jute and leather products joined the seminar.

Bangladesh sought investment in sectors such as roads, rail, satellite, seaports, power and energy, new export processing zones, special economic zones and ICT infrastructure.

Sheikh Mohammed Belal, Bangladesh's ambassador, assured providing Dutch investors and businesses full support in future ventures.

He highlighted comparative advantages the Dutch already have with their sizable investment in Bangladesh.

Bilateral relations have been boosted following Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's visit in November 2015, Belal said.