Business Desk :
Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) President Md Jashim Uddin has urged Canadian companies to invest in waste management and waste-to-energy systems in Bangladesh as the North American country has a number of well-reputed companies in this field.
He came up with the call at a virtual meeting of the Canada-Bangladesh Joint Working Group on Tuesday night.
Jashim, co-chair of the joint working group’s Bangladesh side, said more than six lakh skilled Bangladeshi freelancers are working in the global outsourcing market.
Nuzhat Tam Zaman, co-chair of the joint working group’s Canada side, said most of the Canadian companies are used to hiring freelancers from India, Russia, and Ukraine for web development, social media management, digital content production, and other Information Technology Enabled Services (ITES).
“But the Russia-Ukraine war has opened the window for Bangladeshi freelancers to enter the Canadian market,” she said.
FBCCI Director Syed Alma Kabir, also a member of the joint working group, called on Canadian investors to set up factories and produce solar panels in Bangladesh.
During the meeting, both sides emphasised trade missions to boost bilateral trade.
Thomas Timmins from Canada delivered a presentation on renewable energy while Dr EH Arefin Ahmed did so on Bangladesh’s pharmaceutical industry.
Also present at the meeting were Bangladesh Plastic Goods Manufacturers and Exporters Association President Shamim Ahmed, former president of Bangladesh Jute Goods Association Shahidul Islam Helal, Canada Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Masud Rahman, Saskatchewan Trade and Export Partnership President C Dekker, Additional Commerce Secretary Md Abdur Rahim Khan, Trade Commissioner of Canadian High Commission in Dhaka Qazi Golam Farhad, and FBCCI Secretary General Mohammad Mahfuzul Hoque.
The bilateral trade between Bangladesh and Canada was Tk 15,849.1 crore in the 2020-21 financial year, according to the Bangladesh Bank data.
Bangladesh exported products worth Tk 7,378.4 crore to Canada in the fiscal year 2020-21, which was Tk 6,539.6 crore in the previous year.
On the other hand, Bangladesh imported products worth Tk 8,470.7 crore from Canada in the 2020-21 fiscal year, which was Tk 7,999.2 crore in the previous year.
