PM woos US investors, offers attractive facilities

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has sought US investment in various potential sectors apart from the existing energy, banking and insurance sectors as Bangladesh is developing its infrastructure and power supply systems to facilitate foreign direct investment.

"The US is, of course, the largest investor in Bangladesh with stakes in energy, banking and insurance sectors. We invite US investment in other lucrative sectors like ICT, renewable energy, shipbuilding, automobile, light engineering, agro-processing, blue economy, tourism and knowledge-based hi-tech industries," she said, reports UNB.

Hasina made the call while delivering her speech at the Executive Business Roundtable of the US-Bangladesh Business Council at Lotte Palace in New York on Tuesday.

Hasina said Bangladesh is investing heavily on infrastructure development and power supply to facilitate FDI in those and other promising sectors in Bangladesh.

The prime minister also said Bangladesh is ready to start the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations with the US at an appropriate time.

She said from its 100 economic zones, Bangladesh is ready to offer one exclusively for American companies, and also invites US investment in its 28 high-tech parks. "We're constantly improving our physical, legal and financial infrastructure, and also connectivity as with Padma Bridge and Dhaka Metro-Rail."

She also said Bangladesh is looking forward to US investment in renewable energy. "Our ICT sector is growing fast now with a billion-dollar export to 60 countries, with the US being the top destination. The ICT industry is expected to grow nearly five-fold to reach the five-billion-dollar mark with more than 600,000 free-lance IT professionals … Bangladesh is the right place to invest in the ICT sector."

High-level representatives from leading US business companies, including Boeing, Coca-Cola, Exxon Mobil, Chevron and Mastercard were present at the roundtable.

KUWAIT PM SEEKS COOPERATION ROADMAP

Meanwhile, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah al-Khalid al-Sabah has proposed formulation of a roadmap on bilateral cooperation in a meeting with Sheikh Hasina, reports BSS.

"He [Kuwait PM] said they want to prepare a roadmap and an actionable programme [with Bangladesh] in the next five years," Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen told a news briefing in New York following the meeting at the UN headquarters on Tuesday.

The foreign minister said the Kuwait's PM also expressed his country's interest to set up an oil refinery in Bangladesh while seeking to share Bangladesh's expertise in training their defence forces.