An Indonesian artiste presenting a traditional dance number at ICCB in the city on Thursday, the inaugural day of Indonesia Fair 2019 — FE photo by KAZ Sumon The three-day 'Indonesia Fair 2019' kicked off in the capital on Thursday with a view to strengthening trade and cultural relations further between Bangladesh and the South East Asian country.
Commerce Secretary Md. Mofizul Islam inaugurated the second edition of the exposition at the International Convention City Bashundhara (ICCB) at the city's Kuril.
Indonesian Embassy in Dhaka in association with the Indonesia-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IBCCI) is organising the fair.
Visiting Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia Abdurrahman Mohammad Fachir and the country's Ambassador to Bangladesh Rina P. Soemarno were also present at the inaugural ceremony.
Addressing the programme, Commerce Secretary Islam said friendship between Bangladesh and Indonesia is time-tested and the history of bilateral trade between the two countries is quite old.
Urging the Indonesian businesses to invest here, he said Bangladesh is the second largest nation in the world in terms of ready-made garment (RMG) export, so Indonesian investors can be benefitted by investing in that sector.
Delivering his speech, Indonesian Deputy Minister Fachir said the expo will create new opportunity for businesses of both countries in areas of trade, investment and tourism.
Ambassador Soemarno, in her address, said this year the exhibition is aimed not only at encouraging Indonesian entrepreneurs and companies to expand their businesses in Bangladesh but also encouraging them to invest here.
According to the embassy officials, a number of Indonesia's state-owned companies related to oil and natural gas exploration, railway, military and heavy equipment-making industry have been participating in the fair.
The organisers said around 40 exhibitors have been showcasing different Indonesian consumer and industrial products like batik, fashion, jewelry, handicraft, foods and beverages, and automotives at the fair.
On the sideline of the fair on Friday, a B2B Business Matching session will be held where around 25 Indonesian businesses and companies have registered to meet with prospective partners in Bangladesh to discuss business, joint venture and investment cooperation.
Apart from that, different other programmes will also be held during the three-day exhibition. Of the programmes, an event will be held aiming to exhibit and promote Indonesian culture and another to be staged to exhibit tourism opportunities for the visitors.
Besides, a discussion on bilateral trade between the two countries titled 'Indonesia-Bangladesh Business and Investment Forum' is scheduled to be held on Friday afternoon.
The fair will remain open for all from 11:00am to 8:00pm on Saturday.
© 2024 - All Rights with The Financial Express
