Badrul Ahsan :A British delegation is expected to visit Bangladesh early next year explore the possibilities of expanding the trade and investment opportunities in Bangladesh, sources in the Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.British State Minister for Trade and Investment Lord Maude of Horsham during his meeting with Bangladesh Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali on the sidelines of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) held in Malta of the United Kingdom (UK) on Tuesday has assured his highest effort to organize the visit. “We will organise a British trade delegation to visit Bangladesh in the first quarter of 2016 where members from both the government and the private sectors sill be included,” Horsham said during the meeting.Recalling considerable British investment in Bangladesh, the British Minister expressed his interest in enhancing cooperation in different sectors, especially the infrastructure projects. In this connection, Maude referred to the Paira Port feasibility study being done by the British experts.He highlighted the British expertise in complex engineering, operational and management capacities in running the sea and air ports, power projects, container terminal, railway and highways and expressed keen interest of the British private sector to invest in these projects.Maude also referred to their excellence in services sectors, including investment financing, insurance and reinsurance services.The British State Minister also commended the successes of Bangladesh in social and economic sectors.However, during the meeting, AH Mahmood Ali appraised the British Minister of the huge investment and business opportunities in Bangladesh and particularly mentioned the major infrastructure development programmes and projects undertaken by the present government to materialise the government’s Vision 2021.The Foreign Minister informed that 100 Special Economic Zones had been earmarked for foreign investors which have already generated considerable interest among many investors from various countries.Bangladesh High Commissioner to the UK Md Abdul Hannan, Chief Executive Officer of the Public Private Partnership Office Syed Afsor H Uddin, Executive Member of the Board of Investment Abduz Zaher and senior officials of the Foreign Ministry were present at the meeting.The Foreign Minister is leading Bangladesh delegation to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.
