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Ahmadul Kobir, Kuala Lumpur: Bangladesh High Commissioner to Malaysia Manjurul Karim Khan Chowdhury has urged business leaders and industrialists in Malaysia’s Sabah state to expand trade and investment with Bangladesh, highlighting the country’s growing market and investment opportunities.
He also invited Sabah-based business leaders to visit Bangladesh and explore potential investment, joint venture and business partnership opportunities.
The High Commissioner made the call during separate meetings with Datuk Dexter Lau, President of the Malaysia China Chamber of Commerce in Sabah, and Liaw Hen Kong, Chairman of the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturing, on August 14.
The meetings focused on expanding the market for Bangladeshi products in Sabah, increasing bilateral trade, attracting investment and developing joint business ventures.
During the discussions, Manjurul Karim Khan Chowdhury highlighted Bangladesh’s large consumer market, growing purchasing power of its middle class, young population, abundant workforce and comparatively low production costs as factors that could make the country attractive to Sabah-based investors.
He encouraged business leaders and industrialists in Sabah to visit Bangladesh and assess investment opportunities firsthand while identifying potential local partners.
The High Commissioner stressed the importance of strengthening business-to-business and people-to-people connectivity to translate the longstanding friendly relations between Bangladesh and Malaysia into stronger economic cooperation.
He expressed optimism that closer direct engagement between the business communities of Bangladesh and Sabah could create new opportunities for trade, investment and joint ventures. Over 100 Sabah business leaders join networking event
As part of efforts to strengthen commercial engagement, the High Commissioner attended a business networking event jointly organised by the Malaysia China Chamber of Commerce and the Sabah Business Development Association on August 15.
More than 100 prominent business representatives from Sabah attended the event.
Addressing the gathering, the High Commissioner outlined Bangladesh’s economic and investment prospects and encouraged Sabah businesses to explore opportunities in the Bangladeshi market.
He said Bangladesh’s large and youthful population, expanding middle class and competitive production costs offered significant opportunities for foreign investors.
He also highlighted Bangladesh’s potential as a competitive production base from which investors could serve both the domestic market and international markets.
The envoy urged Sabah-based companies to consider establishing businesses, joint ventures and investment partnerships in Bangladesh, saying stronger commercial links could benefit both sides.
He also called on Sabah’s business community to establish direct contacts with Bangladeshi businesses and visit the country to gain a better understanding of its investment environment and potential sectors.
Focus on direct business links
Vice chairmen, deputy presidents, vice presidents and prominent representatives of various business organisations in Sabah attended the networking event.
Head of Chancery at the Bangladesh High Commission Pranab Kumar Bhattacharyya and First Secretary (Commercial) Pranab Kumar Ghosh were also present.
The latest diplomatic and business engagements come amid Bangladesh’s efforts to deepen economic relations with Sabah, a Malaysian state with significant potential in sectors including tourism, agriculture, fisheries, manufacturing and other industries.
Greater direct interaction between businesses from the two sides could help expand the market for Bangladeshi export products in Sabah while encouraging Malaysian companies to explore investment opportunities in Bangladesh.
The High Commissioner’s meetings and the networking event are expected to provide a platform for identifying practical areas of cooperation and developing stronger business-to-business links between Bangladesh and Sabah.