Canada’s Indo-Pacific Trade Representative Paul Thoppil met with Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on Tuesday at the State Guest House Jamuna, where the chief adviser extended an invitation to Canadian investors to explore opportunities in Bangladesh.
Emphasizing the country’s readiness for industrial expansion and its potential as a regional export hub, Yunus said: "You can invest here, produce here, and re-export to other markets from here. We are prepared to train our people and partner with Canadian businesses. Canada is always welcome in Bangladesh."
Thoppil, currently on his second official visit to Bangladesh, is leading a high-level business delegation comprising senior executives from some of Canada’s most prominent companies, including Bell Helicopter, BlackBerry, Gildan Activewear, JCM Power, and Advantech Wireless Communications.
“We believe in Bangladesh’s economic potential,” said Thoppil. “That is why I have brought a delegation of business leaders. We are here to build stronger commercial ties.”
He praised the reform initiatives undertaken under Professor Yunus’s leadership, calling them bold and necessary.
“You have assembled an impressive advisory team,” Thoppil remarked. “We see clear signs of progress. The reforms your government has initiated are laying the foundation for sustained economic growth, and Canada deeply values its relationship with Bangladesh.”
In response, Professor Yunus said: “We are trying to clean up a mess — what we inherited was a disaster. It felt like living through a 15-year-long earthquake. Despite the overwhelming odds, we are making steady progress through serious reforms. And to move forward, we need friends like you by our side.”