A delegation of the Switzerland-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SBCCI), led by its President Abdur Rashid, met State Minister, Ministry of Commerce, Ahasanul Islam Titu, in a courtesy call on Sunday.
A cooperative partnership between the Ministry of Commerce and SBCCI is essential to overcome obstacles and leverage opportunities while conducting business with Switzerland, according to Engineer Abdur Rashid, the country manager of SGS Bangladesh.
Saad Omar Fahim, the director of Clarichem and Secretary General of SBCCI provided insight into how Swiss businesses are driving innovation in Bangladesh's luxury, machinery, pharmaceutical, and other industries.
Bilateral trade between Bangladesh and Switzerland has crossed $1 billion, but Bangladesh has a huge trade deficit with Switzerland. The state minister, Ahasanul Islam Titu, suggested that SBCCI delegates explore more export opportunities to Switzerland from Bangladesh, where the ministry can play a pivotal role by giving all kinds of support.
Since Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has declared the handicrafts products of the year 2024, the state minister has also emphasized how Bangladeshi businessmen can explore local and Swiss markets for the artistic handicrafts of Bangladesh.
The meeting concluded with a joint commitment between the Ministry of Commerce and SBCCI to work more to foster the healthcare and vocational training sectors by collaborating with Swiss companies.
The other delegates who were present in the meeting were Saiful Islam, chairman and MD, Daffodil Trading House Ltd, Debabrata Roy Chowdhury, director of Legal, Regulatory, and Corporate Affairs and company secretary, Nestle Bangladesh), Abul Hasnat, CEO, Swiss Elegance, Sontosh Chandra Nath, CEO, Alpha Vision Limited, Md Rafiqul Islam, PS to state minister, and Mohammad Mohi Uddin Bhuiyan coordinator, SBCCI.