Canada-Bangladesh joint working group on strengthening commercial relations recently urged Bangladesh Government to negotiate a new agreement for duty-free market access as the general preferential tariffs with Canada would expire in 2023.
The committee came up with this call during a virtual meeting held on the day. During the meeting, Canadian co-chair of the group Nuzhat Tam-Zaman recommended launching an annual Canada-Bangladesh Forum as a launching pad for the JWG. The recommendations from Canada include easier visa processing, electronic visa for Bangladeshis, branding development stories of Bangladesh to Canadian investors and forming Canada-Bangladesh cross border e-commerce platform.
Bangladeshi Co-Chair of the group and President of Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry Md Jashim Uddin said that Bangladesh Investment Development Authority was providing a number of services through one stop service platform.
FBCCI Chief called the Canadian entrepreneurs to invest in Bangladesh saying that agriculture and technology were sectors with the most potential in the country.
Bangladesh high-commissioner to Canada Khalilur Rahman informed that the Foreign Ministry of Bangladesh was working to ease the visa processing for Bangladeshis.
President of Canada Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry Masud Rahman suggested establishing a 100 acre Canadian industrial zone in Bangabandhu Industrial City to attract the Canadian investors.
He proposed establishing Canadian visa office in Dhaka, signing Investment Promotion and Protection Agreements, FTA and forming a consultative committee in a report submitted in the meeting. Canadian high commissioner to Bangladesh Lilly Nicholls suggested identifying the obstacles for Canadian companies to invest in Bangladesh.
Directors of FBCCI Syed Sadat Almas Kabir, Md Saiful Islam, President of Saskatchewan Trade and Export Partnership Chris Dekker, Secretary General of South Asia of Canada Global Affairs David Hartman, additional Secretary of Commerce Ministry Abdur Rahim Khan and President of Bangladesh Plastic Goods Manufacturers and Exporters Association Shamim Ahmed also spoke at the meeting.
