Bangladeshi entrepreneurs on Sunday urged the visiting business delegation from Vietnam to invest in Bangladesh and import pharmaceuticals from the country.
They said that Bangladesh had developed a strong pharmaceutical sector and was exporting quality drugs to at least 87 countries.Leaders of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry at a discussion meeting with the visiting delegation also called upon Vietnamese entrepreneurs to visit agricultural machinery manufacturing units.
They said Vietnam could source many spare parts of agricultural machinery from Bangladesh.
Vietnam entrepreneurs said that Bangladesh was an important economic and trading partner of Vietnam in the South Asia region as the two countries had complementary economic interests.
The two countries can expand cooperation and trading ties for dealings in rice, agricultural machinery, oil products, pharmaceuticals and chemicals, said Bui Ngoc Bao, chairman of Vietnam National Petroleum Group, and also the head of the 12-member delegation.
Tarique-ul-Islam, Vice-president of Bangladesh Association of Pharmaceuticals Industries, said that Vietnam could import quality pharmaceutical products from Bangladesh.
The FBCCI vice-president Md Helal Uddin said that Bangladesh was eager to develop business partnership with Vietnam and FBCCI would extend full support in this regard.
Though the trade volume between Bangladesh and Vietnam is not very significant, there are great potentials to boost bilateral trade and investment, he said.
Syed Sadek Ahmed, director of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, urged the visiting delegation to work together on human resources, marketing policy and new technology.
He said that Vietnam was a competitor for the clothing sector of Bangladesh but there was no barrier to working together on technology and policy.
A new era has opened up for the RMG sector of both Bangladesh and Vietnam as China, the largest clothing exporters of the world, is loosing its competitiveness, Sadek said.
Bilateral trade between Bangladesh and Vietnam amounted $ 346 million in 2011-12 financial year.
Bangladesh exported to Vietnam products worth $ 44.50 million and imported products worth $ 301.40 million, according to FBCCI statistics.
-With New Age input
