US to continue help in health, agri sectors

US Ambassador James F Moriarty yesterday said the US government will continue to help Bangladesh meet the most pressing needs in health, disaster management and agriculture sectors.
The country's economic growth depends largely on international trade and Bangladesh's ability to tap into it will depend on the economic policy, he said at a meeting with business leaders, organised by the Sylhet Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SCCI).
SCCI President Junnun Mahmud Khan presided over the meeting held at a hotel in the city.
The SCCI president said the government had selected a site of 1000 acres of land beside the Sylhet-Tamabil highway for setting up a special economic zone.
It would create a greater scope for investment by Non-Resident Bangladeshis as well as others, he said and hoped that it would be a reality very soon.
Welcoming the idea of setting up a Special Economic Zone, the US ambassador said innovative policy ideas will help Bangladesh navigate the current economic challenges and reap the benefits of the global economic system by attracting more foreign investment and cultivating an open business climate that fosters sustainable and broad economic growth.
Moriarty also said Bangladesh has become an important partner in global commerce and a leading advocate for the interests of least developed countries.
SCCI Vice-President Khondaker Shipar Ahmed also spoke.