The United States remains the largest market for Bangladesh’s IT sector, and this market is expected to expand further, said Russell T Ahmed, president of the Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS).
He was speaking at a stakeholders' meeting held at the BASIS Auditorium in Dhaka on Tuesday.
The event, titled “BASIS America Desk Stakeholders’ Meet,” aimed to strengthen ICT business relations between Bangladesh and the US.
Russell highlighted the need for an urgent survey to identify skill gaps in Bangladesh’s IT sector and called for joint training programs with US partners to address these gaps.
“There is significant potential to attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and create more opportunities through joint ventures,” he said.
He also urged collaboration between the US Embassy and BASIS to organize training programs with the BASIS Institute of Technology and Management (BITM) and host a high-level Artificial Intelligence (AI) conference in Bangladesh.
James Gardiner, acting chief of the Economic Unit at the US Embassy in Dhaka, emphasized the importance of deeper integration into the global economy, a key goal for "Bangladesh 2.0."
He also called for cracking down on the use of pirated software and promoting ethical business practices in line with international standards to boost Bangladesh’s global reputation.
Gardiner stressed the need to strengthen the country's cybersecurity infrastructure, enforce proper regulatory policies, and foster a business-friendly environment to attract international investment.
John Fay, commercial counsellor at the US Embassy, reaffirmed the embassy’s commitment to strengthening commercial ties between the two nations.
He assured stakeholders that the embassy would facilitate connections to expedite the visa process for IT industry representatives, provide B2B matchmaking support, and promote Bangladesh’s participation in upcoming US trade exhibitions.