Bangladesh seeks durable economic ties with US: PM
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has urged American businesses to invest in Bangladesh with confidence and for the long term, saying his government wants to build a durable economic partnership with the United States based on investment, trade, technology and job creation.
“Our objective is not simply to attract foreign direct investment but to build a durable and mutually beneficial economic partnership,” he said while meeting a 50-member delegation of the US-Bangladesh Business Council at his office at the Secretariat on Thursday.
The delegation was led by Oliver Simpson, vice president and chief commercial officer of Accelerate Energy, and Ambassador (Retd) Atul Keshap, president of the US-Bangladesh Business Council and senior vice president for South Asia at the US Chamber of Commerce.
Tarique invited US companies to invest and expand their operations in Bangladesh, highlighting opportunities in energy, infrastructure, technology, digital services, finance, agriculture, healthcare, manufacturing and logistics.
The prime minister said his six-month-old government was pursuing
deregulation, a pro-business budget and liberal economic and fiscal policies to create a predictable and investment-friendly environment.
He said the government was strengthening investor protection, simplifying regulations, improving tax and VAT administration, facilitating profit repatriation, reducing red tape and digitising public services.
Tarique also highlighted plans to improve infrastructure, ports, logistics and energy security while encouraging investment in renewable energy and modern technologies.
“Please consider our entire government as your partner. We are here to listen, respond, and facilitate,” he told the US business leaders.
The prime minister said Bangladesh welcomed US investment through direct investment, joint ventures, public-private partnerships and consultancy, while seeking to expand two-way trade and strengthen the countries’ export-import relationship.
He said the government had set a target of building a $1 trillion economy by 2034 and was working to position Bangladesh as a manufacturing and investment hub through targeted incentives, skills development and technological investment.
Tarique said a stronger economic partnership with the US would help create jobs, expand trade and investment and deepen bilateral relations.
“I invite you to invest with confidence and build for the long term,” he said, urging American businesses to become partners in Bangladesh’s economic transformation.
Recalling his own career, the prime minister said he had started as a businessman before entering politics and therefore understood the importance of creating the right policies and conditions for businesses to grow.
