Bangladesh keen to promote trade with Pakistan

Bangladesh High Commissioner to Pakistan Suhrab Hossain has said Bangladesh making strenuous efforts for strengthening and promoting trade with Pakistan. Addressing the members of Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) on Wednesday he said that they were making all-out efforts for enhancing the volume of bilateral trade with Pakistan.
The exchange of trade delegation between the two countries would help promote bilateral trade and provide an opportunity to each side to explore market and find out the possibilities of demand of products, he said. He stressed upon the members of the business community of Sialkot to invest in Bangladesh and enjoy the benefits of facilities because of liberal policy.
The High Commissioner said that there was a great need for establishing shopping link between Chittagong and Karachi and air link between Dhaka and Lahore for accelerating the pace of export activities between the two countries. In order to introduce the products exporters of Sialkot should participate in trade fairs and exhibitions he suggested.
President SCCI Naeem Anwar Qureshi in his welcome address said they should tighten our hands to consolidate further trade relations, mutual growth and development prospects. He said there was an ample scope for expansion of bilateral trade and both the countries should import from each other rather than buying from distant countries. In order to enhance bilateral trade both Pakistan and Bangladesh require strong commercial shipping links with minimum shipping charges and achieve expansion of traditional to non-traditional trade he said.
The president SCCI said exchange of trade delegations, increased participation in trade fairs and exhibition in both the countries including single country exhibition and regular exchange of information on bilateral trade, commerce and investment could help in enhancing the trade activities between the two countries.
Pakistan and Bangladesh should concentrate on establishing a strong network of SMEs in this region and cooperate with each other for promoting SMEs, he added. Later, Hossain visited a leading factory of Martial Art Uniform. Chief Co-ordinator and Former Chairman Pakistan Readymade Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PRGMEA) Ijaz A Khokhar informed the High Commissioners about the garment industry of Sialkot. The High Commissioner lauded the quality of products and underscored the need for direct interaction between the stakeholders of Bangladesh and Pakistan for enhancing the bilateral trade volume.