Malaysian Chinese business leaders on Wednesday expressed their desire for an industrial park dedicated to the Malaysian investors so that they could set up industries in Bangladesh.
At a meeting with the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry, the visiting Malaysian Chinese business leaders said that setting up such industrial park would facilitate them to set up joint ventures and relocate their small and medium industries in Bangladesh.
It will also bring more foreign direct investment, create employment generation and facilitate technology transfer in Bangladesh, they said.
‘Malaysian investors face problems in finding out land to set up industry along with other bureaucratic complexities in Bangladesh. It will boost bilateral business and investment scenario if the government sets up such industrial park,’ said Soong Siew Hoong, mission leader of the visiting Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia.
He requested FBCCI leaders for advocating to the government for establishing industrial park dedicated to Malaysian investors.
The ACCCIM, the platform of Chinese chambers of commerce in Malaysia, also presented a concept paper on setting up cluster industrial parks in Bangladesh following Malaysian experience.
According to their presentation, such industrial parks may be constructed under private joint venture, government-to-government initiative or public-private partnership. Only 100 to 300 hectares of land is needed for such cluster industrial park.
There are more than 200 cluster industrial parks, 18 free industrial zones developed by the government authorities and private sectors.
FBCCI president Kazi
Akram Uddin Ahmed assured them that the apex trade body of the country would request the government for considering their proposals.
Soong said the delegation was visiting Bangladesh to understand trade and investment conditions, explore joint venture opportunities, source products from Bangladesh and find out market opportunities of Malaysian products in the country.
Delegation of the ACCCIM, an organisation of 28,000 Malaysian Chinese companies and individuals of the Chinese business community, said that they wanted to import agricultural products, handicrafts, electrical consumer products, construction raw materials, labour for construction, yarns and fabrics from Bangladesh.
They are also exploring the opportunities to invest in joint venture in the field of palm oil mill machinery and equipment, power, oil, gas, food processing, textiles, constructing hotels, dredging, infrastructures and power generation.
After the meeting, entrepreneurs from both the countries held one to one meeting to explore business and investment opportunities at the FBCCI auditorium.
FBCCI first vice-president Monowara Hakim Ali, vice-president Helal Uddin, among others, spoke at the meeting.
-With New Age input
