PM urges NRBs to help boost exports to Africa
Saturday, 10 July 2010
ABUJA (Nigeria), July 9: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has urged overseas Bangladeshis to help boost the country's exports, tapping into the continent's rising economies.
"You can exploit opportunities to expand markets of (our) products in African countries," she told a group non-resident Bangladeshi (NRB) professionals living in the oil-rich nation.
"There's a huge demand of Bangladeshi quality products like pharmaceuticals, ready made garments, ceramics, jute and jute goods in international markets, including Europe," she added.
The Prime Minister made the call when a group of Bangladeshi physicians, engineers and other professionals working in the country called on her at her hotel suite here Thursday.
Hasina who attended the just concluded D-8 summit in Abuja, said her government considers opening up Bangladesh's mission in the west African country to facilitate visa and augmenting people to people contact.
News agencies reported that the Prime Minister said she has already called upon D-8 countries to ease procedures for obtaining business visas as part of further increasing economic cooperation among the eight developing countries.
The D-8 summit has ratified the "Simplification of VISA Procedures for the Businessmen of the D-8 countries", which is expected to ease movement of businessmen of both Bangladesh and Nigeria.
She said her government is also considering sending Bangladeshi farm workers to African countries, especially in Nigeria.
Hasina said the bilateral ties between Bangladesh and Nigeria have strengthened further since the formation of D-8 in 1997.
Bangladesh and Nigeria, she said, will work together in future to bolster economic and cultural relations between the two Muslim nations.
"We'll be able to solve problems faced by the expatriate Bangladeshis living in Nigeria through strengthening bilateral relations," she added.
Referring to the government's vision of building a digital Bangladesh by 2021, Sheikh Hasina said an internet-based programming would launched shortly to allow expatriate Bangladeshis and their children to learn Bangla perfectly.
The Prime Minister called upon the expatriate Bangladeshis to play their role as ambassadors in enhancing the image of the country abroad through upholding national interests.
The Bangladeshi community in Nigeria expressed the hope that opening up of a Bangladeshi mission will create further oportunities for Bangladesh to expand its labour markets in the African country.
"You can exploit opportunities to expand markets of (our) products in African countries," she told a group non-resident Bangladeshi (NRB) professionals living in the oil-rich nation.
"There's a huge demand of Bangladeshi quality products like pharmaceuticals, ready made garments, ceramics, jute and jute goods in international markets, including Europe," she added.
The Prime Minister made the call when a group of Bangladeshi physicians, engineers and other professionals working in the country called on her at her hotel suite here Thursday.
Hasina who attended the just concluded D-8 summit in Abuja, said her government considers opening up Bangladesh's mission in the west African country to facilitate visa and augmenting people to people contact.
News agencies reported that the Prime Minister said she has already called upon D-8 countries to ease procedures for obtaining business visas as part of further increasing economic cooperation among the eight developing countries.
The D-8 summit has ratified the "Simplification of VISA Procedures for the Businessmen of the D-8 countries", which is expected to ease movement of businessmen of both Bangladesh and Nigeria.
She said her government is also considering sending Bangladeshi farm workers to African countries, especially in Nigeria.
Hasina said the bilateral ties between Bangladesh and Nigeria have strengthened further since the formation of D-8 in 1997.
Bangladesh and Nigeria, she said, will work together in future to bolster economic and cultural relations between the two Muslim nations.
"We'll be able to solve problems faced by the expatriate Bangladeshis living in Nigeria through strengthening bilateral relations," she added.
Referring to the government's vision of building a digital Bangladesh by 2021, Sheikh Hasina said an internet-based programming would launched shortly to allow expatriate Bangladeshis and their children to learn Bangla perfectly.
The Prime Minister called upon the expatriate Bangladeshis to play their role as ambassadors in enhancing the image of the country abroad through upholding national interests.
The Bangladeshi community in Nigeria expressed the hope that opening up of a Bangladeshi mission will create further oportunities for Bangladesh to expand its labour markets in the African country.