Eleven Bangladeshi and six Turkish companies have come together and established the new Bangladesh-Türkiye Business Forum (BTBF) to strengthen bilateral ties, expedite connections and optimise potential. The newly established Bangladesh-Türkiye Business Forum aspires to be the leading business platform to bring Bangladesh and Türkiye closer through innovative branding and building partnerships. The BTBF was formed at a meeting hosted by the Turkish Embassy in Dhaka recently. BTBF will solidify support for bilateral trade, investments, and cultural encounters and act as an advocacy platform promoting bilateral relations between Bangladesh and Türkiye, said the embassy on Friday. Also read: Rohingya repatriation: Bangladesh wants more coordinated, proactive support from ASEAN Rubana Huq, Managing Director of Mohammadi Group and Vice Chancellor of the Asian University for Women (AUW) has been elected Chairperson of the BTBF while Salahuddin Kasem Khan, Chairman, EC of Board, AK Khan & Co Ltd elected co-Chairperson. Kazi Zahedul Hasan, founder & MD, Kazi Farms Group has been made BTBF Deputy Chairperson while Ercument Polat, CEO, United Aygaz LPG Ltd will act as BTBF Secretary General. Other BTBF founding members are Alihussain Akberali, Chairman, BSRM, Anjan Chowdhury, key stakeholder, Square Group, Abul Khair Litu, Chairman, Bengal Group Ltd. & founder, Bengal Foundation, Enayetullah Khan, founder & MD, Cosmos Group, Mohamed Haniffa Mohamed Fairoz. CEO & MD, Singer Bangladesh Ltd, Moinuddin Hasan Rashid, Chairman & MD, United Group, Mirza Salman Ispahani, Chairman & MD, MM Ispahani Ltd, Sk. Nasir Uddin, Chairman, Akij Group, Emrah Karaca, Country Manager, Turkish Airlines in Bangladesh, Hakan Altınışık, Director of Technology & Innovation, Arçelik, Mehmet Yıldız, Administrative & Financial Specialist, NKY Architects & Engineers, Muhammed Çağrı Ünal, Construction Coordinator, EPİK Holding and Özgür Türk, Country Director, LCWaikiki. Dr. Rubana Huq, following her election as the BTBF Chairperson said, “May this forum strengthen bilateral ties, expedite connections and optimise potential. The business to business and people to people connect will surely offer more opportunities to explore at both our ends.” BTBF will soon be legally constituted to perform its activities through its working groups on trade, investment and cultural activities. A Research and Data Cell will also be created within its Secretariat to develop collaboration with experts and relevant institutions. Gender balance will be encouraged in the membership and leadership structure of BTBF. Salahuddin Kasem Khan, as the BTBF Co-chairperson and Honorary Consul General of Türkiye in Chattogram, said the Forum is significant as some of the oldest and largest corporates of Bangladesh and Türkiye are represented. "Since both are members of D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation, Bangladesh can evolve as a hub for Turkish companies in the Bay of Bengal region and Türkiye for Bangladeshi companies in the EU & the Central Asian regions," he said. Also read: Trade, Connectivity, Tourism: Bangladesh, Nepal seek greater collaboration The Turkish Ambassador in Dhaka will be patrons of BTBF while Honorary Consul Generals of Türkiye in Bangladesh will be honorary members of the Executive Board. Mustafa Osman Turan, Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye to Bangladesh, has expressed his pleasure about the decision of the seventeen Bangladeshi and Turkish companies to unite their forces for the mutual benefit of both of their countries. “From now on, there is a new powerful business platform who will rebrand Türkiye in Bangladesh and Bangladesh in Türkiye so that our people can get to know each other better and tap into their full potential through partnerships and joint projects," Ambassador Turan told the Founding Members at their meeting. A BTBF delegation is planning to visit Türkiye in September 2022 to meet with the Turkish government and business representatives and to explore opportunities for collaboration.