The US Chamber of Commerce has said collaboration between the US private sector and Bangladeshi startups can be a "powerful tool" in the new generation of growth of Bangladesh-US economic relations.
The US Chamber of Commerce's US-Bangladesh Business Council led an executive delegation to Bangladesh for a four-day visit to discuss strengthening of US-Bangladesh economic relations with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and senior members of the Bangladesh government across trade and commerce, foreign affairs, finance, energy, digital economy, water and sustainability.
The delegation ended its visit by meeting with over 30 Bangladeshi startups and partners at the Edward M Kennedy Center to ensure US companies are well connected to the talented youth and entrepreneurs of Bangladesh.
They are building state-of-the-art solutions across fintech, agriculture, water, food security, and professional services that are supporting Bangladesh's transition to a developed economy by 2041, said the US Chamber of Commerce on Friday.
The US delegates shared their experience on access to finance and angel investing, ideas to capture different segments of an emerging economy, providing access to secure platforms to build new products and services, and partnerships with the private sector to co-create products and solutions.
The executive delegation was led by the Council's Board Chair Jay R Pryor, vice-president (business development) at Chevron, as the mission lead, and joined by Visa and Excelerate Energy as corporate partners.
The Council's full board of directors and over 30 US company industry leaders from a diversity of sectors of cooperation also joined the delegation.
"It is our time now! Take your time taking opportunities in our conducive investment environment. Bangladesh has been recommended to graduate from the LDC in 2026. We are aspiring to become a developed and prosperous country by 2041," Prime Minister Hasina told the delegation.
For that purpose, she said, they need enhanced investment from friendly countries, especially from the US.
"With strong prospects, I will now assure you of the best possible policy framework to ease our business and investment climate," she said.