Bangladesh is no longer an aid receiving country for Denmark, it is a also a trade partner and a place where the Danish investors can do business, said Jan Moller Hansen, deputy head of mission of the Danish embassy in Dhaka.
“Bangladesh in recent years showed a steady growth of nearly 6 percent despite the economic meltdown,” Hansen told an audience of 10 Danish and 45 local clean tech companies organised by the Danish embassy in the capital yesterday.
“Trade-not-aid and the creation of long-term and sustainable partnership is definitely the way forward for a country like Bangladesh,” he added.
Hansen said the new Danish development policy focuses mainly on growth, job creation and mutual cooperation between the two countries.
“Recently, the Danish embassy opened a trade section in response to the growing trade and commercial interest in Bangladesh.”
The deputy head of the embassy said Bangladesh has made a number of impressive achievements over the last few years, especially in some social indicators.
“Poverty rates are going down, illiteracy rates are dropping, more and more girls and women enrol in schools and enter the labour market,” he added. “Access to clean drinking water and hygienic sanitation was also improving.”
The envoy said, by opening up for inflow of foreign investments, know-how and so on, the Asian Tiger economies have increased their exports and living standard of their people.
He said Denmark has a long tradition and a lot of expertise in environmental and renewable energy management.
“Danish industry and know-how can be of great value to Bangladesh and a lot of benefits can be derived from working closer together on this issues.”
Industries Minister Dilip Barua said Denmark has extended all its support to Bangladesh in its fight against poverty and corruption.
“In recent years Denmark has also been active in promoting private sector development,” the minister said.
He said Denmark has played an important role to flourish the shipbuilding industry of Bangladesh and take the industry to an international standard.
He also recognised the Danish role in the IT sector of Bangladesh.
Now there are around 20 joint ventures between Bangladesh and Denmark in the IT sector, and it is one of the main markets for the Bangladeshi IT industry.
The minister said the government is giving more thrust to eco-friendly industrialisation and encouraging green industry.
“We seek further help and cooperation from the Danish government to mitigate these national problems,” he added.
Barua hoped, as an energy efficient nation, Denmark could transfer appropriate technology to Bangladesh.
Ijaz Hossain, professor of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, Hamim Rahmatullah, president of Foreign Investor’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Frands Sharpe, representative of Nordic Chamber of Commerce and Industry, also spoke at the programme, moderated by Farooq Sobhan, president of Bangladesh Enterprise Institute.
