Doors of economic zones open for Indian investors: DCCI president

Rizwan Rahman, president of the Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI), has invited Indian entrepreneurs to invest in Bangladesh's economic zones that are completely ready for use.

Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) President Rizwan Rahman has invited the Indian entrepreneurs to invest in the economic zones in Bangladesh that are already completed for operation.

Indian investors can tap the opportunities by investing in pharmaceuticals, footwear, energy, food processing, light engineering and ICT.

Moreover, the initiative of signing a comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA) between India and Bangladesh will usher a win-win situation for both end businesses, he said in a meeting with the Calcutta Chamber of Commerce at a hotel in Kolkata on Wednesday.

Rahman, who was leading a 47-member business delegation, was on a visit to India to explore new business potentials.

The DCCI president also said the bilateral trade between Bangladesh and India hovers within $9.87 billion having a potential of $16.4 billion as forecast by the World Bank.

In the meeting, Calcutta Chamber of Commerce President Shailja Mehta said India is the biggest trade partner of Bangladesh in South Asia.

Toward achieving advantageous trade figures, both the nations need to diversify trade with active industry participation, she said.

Mehta also said that better market access, improved physical connectivity and transit and energy trade between India and Bangladesh are important instruments for unlocking bilateral trade potential.

She also termed tourism as one of the important areas where there is huge potential to tap.