Dhaka Chamber of Commerce & Industry (DCCI) President Taskeen Ahmed has sought Malaysia's support in facilitating exports of Bangladeshi products and services including readymade garments, pharmaceuticals, electronics, IT-enabled services, jute goods and food products, to ASEAN countries.
Taskeen made the call while attending separate bilateral trade and investment discussions with the National Chamber of Commerce & Industry of Malaysia (NCCIM) and the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturing (FMM) on September 25 and 26 in Kuala Lumpur as part of a visiting DCCI business delegation's engagements.
Speaking at the "Malaysia-Bangladesh Business Forum: Bridging Business and Building B2B Partnership," organised by NCCIM, Taskeen also urged Malaysian entrepreneurs to invest in Bangladesh to tap its large domestic market and use it as a springboard for expanding Malaysian exports to other South Asian countries.
NCCIM President Norsyahrin bin Hamidon described Bangladesh as one of Malaysia's most important trade partners in South Asia.
While petroleum products currently dominate Malaysia's exports to Bangladesh, he pointed to significant untapped potential for Malaysian goods in Bangladesh's expanding middle-class market, urging Malaysian entrepreneurs to pursue this opportunity more actively.
DCCI Senior Vice President Razeev H Chowdhury presented a keynote paper on Bangladesh's trade and investment potential at the forum.
At a separate "Strategic Forum on Malaysia-Bangladesh Business & Trade Opportunities," organised by FMM on September 25, FMM President Jacob Lee Chor Kok said greater private-sector engagement could take bilateral ties to a new level and open new areas of economic cooperation.
He also praised the contribution of Bangladeshi workers to Malaysia's economy, noting that skills and experience gained there would benefit Bangladesh's industrialisation once they return home.
Bangladesh High Commissioner to Malaysia Manjurul Karim Khan Chowdhury, MITI Senior Director Dr Rashidi Said, and MATRADE Director Naim Abdul Rahman, among others, also spoke at the events.
DCCI and FMM signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen bilateral trade and investment cooperation, with Taskeen Ahmed and Jacob Lee Chor Kok signing on behalf of their respective organisations.
Entrepreneurs from both countries also took part in around 70 B2B matchmaking sessions, exploring business and investment opportunities across sectors.