Commerce minister Tofail Ahmed on Thursday sought duty-free market access of all Bangladeshi products to the Malaysian market so that the trade ties between the two countries can reach a newer height in the coming days. He also invited Malaysian entrepreneurs to invest in Bangladesh to have a strong production base here and re-export products to Malaysia and other global destinations benefiting the two countries. Only 19 Bangladeshi products now enjoy duty-free access to Malaysian market apart from facing some tariff and non-tariff barriers. The commerce minister was addressing the inaugural session of a three-day ‘Showcase Malaysia 2015’ as chief guest at the Sonargaon Hotel in the city. The Bangladesh Malaysia Chamber of Commerce and Industry is hosting the trade show for the fourth time. Malaysian high commissioner in Dhaka Norlin Binte Othman, Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry president. Abdul Matlub Ahmed, BMCCI president Nasir A Choudhury, former BMCCI president and fair organising committee chairman Syed Moazzam Hossain and BMCCI treasurer Syed Almas Kabir also spoke on the occasion. Tofail said Bangladesh has a very liberal investment policy that can convince the Malaysian investors to come here and invest in a bigger way. The Malaysian high commissioner said there is lot of potential in Bangladesh, and Malaysian companies are here to see for themselves what business opportunities Bangladesh offer for Malaysian businesspeople. Appreciating the BMCCI role, the diplomat said BMCCI is one the most active bilateral chambers in Bangladesh which is promoting a two-way trade. Moazzam said Bangladesh is looking for more foreign direct investment and Malaysia is also willing to increase its investment here. There are 55 stalls in the three-day show representing manufacturers, exporters, traders, educational institutions, service providers, telecommunications, banking sector, information technology, tourism, healthcare and medical.
