Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday urged British businesses to make investment in Bangladesh, where foreign investment gets priority.
“For that purpose we have established special economic zones, Hitech Parks, and incubation centres,” she told a British cross party parliamentary delegation, led by Virendra Sharma, during a courtesy meeting at her official residence Ganabhaban.
The other members of the delegation are: Paul Scully, Neil Coyle and Andrew Western.
PM’s speech writer M Nazrul Islam briefed reporters after the call on.
Hasina said that should the British investors want Bangladesh would allocate a separate economic zone for them as some other countries have already got their dedicated economic zones.
She mentioned that geographically Bangladesh is ideal for investment as it is well connected with South East Asia and South Asia where more than 300 crore people live.
“It’s a market of 300 crore, and as a result if anyone invest here it would not be a problem to get market for the produced items,” she said.
In this connection, she mentioned that aiming to reduce the procedural time for investment the government has already put some 110 items out of 170 in online.
“Rest of the 60 items will be put online very soon,” she said.
She continued that her government has been putting everything online to cut the procedural time to invest in Bangladesh.
“The government has already put some 110 items online out of 170. Rest of the 60 items will be put online very soon,” she said.
The British MPs pledged to work closely to take forward the development initiatives of the government for the socioeconomic advancement of Bangladesh and its people.
The five-member parliamentary delegation includes Paul Scully, MP, former Conservative Minister for Tech and Digital Economy, Neil Coyle, MP, Member of UK House of Commons Select Committee on Foreign Affairs, Andrew Western, MP, Opposition Whip at the House of Commons and Dominic Moffitt, Senior Parliamentary Assistant at House of Commons.
The delegation which arrived in Dhaka on January 27 is scheduled to depart for London on 31 January.
PM’s Private Industry and Investment Adviser Salman Fazlur Rahman, Ambassador-at-large M Ziauddin and PM’s Principal Secretary M Tofazzel Hossain Miah were present.