British investors keen to invest in various sectors of Bangladesh

British Prime Minister's trade envoy to Bangladesh Rushanara Ali, MP, has said that British investors are interested to invest in various sectors of Bangladesh.

The British MP said this, while she met Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi at the secretariat office in Dhaka on Monday.

Mentioning that Bangladesh is now the best profitable destination for making investments, Tipu Munshi sought British investments in special economic zones and hi-tech parks of the country.

"The investment procedures have been simplified in Bangladesh while the country has been providing a set of facilities for attracting foreign investment," he said.

The commerce minister mentioned that there is a huge potential for making investments in the country's energy, railway, telecommunications, information technology, pharmaceuticals, light engineering, services, education and RMG sector where the British investors could avail such opportunities, reports BSS.

Citing that many Bangladeshi students go to the UK every year for pursuing higher studies in different institutions, he said if the branches of those institutions could be set up here, then the local students would get the opportunity for having higher studies in less cost.

Terming the UK as a friendly nation of Bangladesh, Tipu said that Bangladesh has long-standing trade and economic relations with the UK while more than 200 British companies have invested around $2.5 billion in Bangladesh.

He said that under the directives of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, some 100 special economic zones are being set up across the country while the construction of some 33 hi-tech parks are going on in a speedy manner offering scope for investment.

In response, Rushanara Ali, also the trade envoy of the UK Prime Minister to Bangladesh, said that the UK wants to enhance trade and commerce with Bangladesh.

She mentioned that many British companies have been working in Bangladesh with a reputation while British investors are interested to invest in Bangladesh, especially in the education and services sector.

Rushanara said that the special economic zones in Bangladesh have created scopes for attracting both local and foreign investment while British investors are interested to invest in various sectors of Bangladesh.

She opined that if the bilateral trade increases between the two countries, then scopes would be created for the operations of cargo vessels.

Lauding highly the development of Bangladesh, the British MP said that "Made in Bangladesh" is a popular brand in the UK.

Besides, she also mentioned the interest of British investors in Bangladesh's services, education, health and civil aviation sector side by side stressing the importance of protecting intellectual property rights.

Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce Tapan Kanti Ghosh, and British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Robert Chatterton Dickson, among others, were present on the occasion.