Rwanda’s infrastructure promising for Bangladeshi investors

Bangladesh's investors have a good prospect in the growing infrastructure sector of Rwanda, one of the promising countries in Africa, said a business leader yesterday.

Besides, generic medicine, jute, contract-farming and furniture have a good prospect for Bangladeshi entrepreneurs in Rwanda, said Arman Haque, senior vice-president of the Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI).

He made the remarks at a meeting with High Commissioner of Rwanda Mukangira Jacqueline, based in New Delhi, at the DCCI Gulshan Centre, according to a press release from the chamber.

Haque requested Rwanda's importers to import steel, cement, eco-friendly brick, PVC pipe, electrical cable and skilled construction workers from Bangladesh.

Bilateral trade between Bangladesh and Rwanda is very insignificant.

But since Rwanda is a member of the East African Community (EAC) and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), Bangladesh can explore opportunities and forge collaboration with the country in order to access other promising markets in the African continent, Haque added.

The EAC is a regional intergovernmental organisation of six partner states: Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda, while the COMESA comprises 21 African member states.

Haque assured the high commissioner that the Dhaka Chamber will extend its full cooperation to facilitate business delegations from Rwanda.

Generic medicine, jute, contract-farming and furniture have also good prospects for Bangladeshi entrepreneurs in Rwanda, said Arman Haque, senior vice-president of DCCI

Mukangira Jacqueline said that the existing trade relation with Bangladesh is very friendly and it would continue in future as well.

Rwanda is the second-fastest growing economy in Africa and fifth in the east African region in terms of creating network readiness.

"In Rwanda, an entrepreneur can avail company registration in less than six hours," she said.

Jacqueline invited Bangladesh's investors to invest in Rwanda with a view to capturing the large African market and called for stronger collaboration between the businessmen of both countries.

She urged the Dhaka Chamber to sign a memorandum of understanding with its counterpart in Rwanda and requested a frequent exchange of business delegations of both parties.

Monowar Hossain, vice-president of the DCCI, and Irakoze Prosper, second counsellor of the High Commission of Rwanda, were also present during the meeting.