Trade ties can be taken to new heights

Prime Minister of Bhutan Dr. Lotey Tshering on Saturday said huge potentials are there to boost the bilateral trade between Bangladesh and Bhutan.

"The trade relations can be taken into a new height by effective communication and follow up," he said while addressing a business meeting with the FBCCI leaders at a city hotel, reports BSS quoting a FBCCI press release.

The release said Bhutan is highly interested to develop the existing trade relations with Bangladesh and also wants to explore the trade potentials.

Chaired by FBCCI President Md. Shafiul Islam Mohiuddin, the meeting was attended, among others, by Bhutanese Foreign Minister Dr. Tandi Dorji and other high government officials.

The meeting discussed about importing hydro power from Bhutan involving the neighboring country like India. The Bhutan Prime Minister also emphasised tri-partite arrangements in this regard.

Prime Minister's Private Industry and Investment Advisor Salman F Rahman and State Minister for Disaster Management Dr. Md. Enamur Rahman also addressed the meeting.

Bhutanese Ambassador to Dhaka Sonam Tobden Rabgye, President of Bhutan Chamber of Commerce Ms. Phub Zam and a 26-member Bhutan business delegation also attended the programme. FBCCI Vice President and the Directors along with the leading business persons of the country were present.

Speaking on the occasion, FBCCI President Md. Shafiul Islam Mohiuddin said despite having huge potentials, the bilateral trade could not reach a desired level.

The FBCCI Chief also suggested some areas of cooperation with Bhutan like textiles, ICT, construction and some others sectors.

FBCCI Vice President Md. Muntakim Ashraf made a power-point presentation highlighting Bangladesh's economic advancement, investment condition and the ways forward to boost the existing trade volume with Bhutan.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to set up a 'Joint Business Council' between FBCCI and the Bhutan Chamber of Commerce was signed at the end of the programme. The presidents of the FBCCI and the Bhutan Chamber signed the MoU on behalf of their respective sides.

Representatives from construction, power and energy, hospitality, tourism and the FMCG sector from Bhutan participated in the meeting.

Business leaders of Bangladesh representing various sectors also attended the programme and had discussions with their counterparts.

During the current fiscal year, Bangladesh's exports to Bhutan totaled $3.72 million against the imports of $18.10 million.

The principal export products of Bangladesh to Bhutan are agricultural products, ores, slag and ash, woven garments, plastics and plastic articles and pharmaceutical products.

The major import items from Bhutan are mineral products, vegetable products, iron and steel, textiles and textile articles.

Bhutan interested to import more medicines

Meanwhile, Bhutan has expressed its interest to import more pharmaceuticals from Bangladesh as well as taking more expert physicians.

Bhutanese Prime Minister Dr Lotay Tshering expressed the interest when Bangladesh Health Minister Zahid Malik met him at Hotel Intercontinental on Saturday.

Talking to BSS after the meeting, Zahid Malik said both the countries can work on boosting cooperation in the health sector and side by side cooperation can be made on medical tourism.

The minister, in response to the request from the Bhutanese side, said the government has decided to raise the quota for Bhutanese students at the government medical colleges by five more seats.

Later, State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury met the Bhutanese Prime Minister at the same venue.

Emerging from the meeting, Khalid said that he emphasised utilising more the land ports and river ports by the Bhutanese businesses to boost connectivity as well as boosting trade and commerce.

"The use of such ports will raise the revenue earnings of Bangladesh," he added.

Besides, both the Health Minister and the State Minister for Shipping during their meetings with the Bhutanese Prime Minister underscored the need for strengthening the bilateral relations between the two countries.