Zambian Consulate Opens in Dhaka to Boost Trade Ties

 
The consulate was inaugurated at an event of 'Zambia-Bangladesh Business Forum-Dhaka' in a city hotel.
 
The event was jointly organized by the Export Promotion Bureau of Bangladesh, Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry of Zambia and the Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) in collaboration with the Consulate of Zambia in Bangladesh, the High Commission of Zambia in New Delhi, India and High Commission of Bangladesh in Zambia (non-resident).

Md Anwar Hossain, EPB Vice Chairman; Crusivia C. Hichikumba, Permanent Secretary of Investment and Industrialisation, Ministry of Commerce, Trade, and Industry of Zambia; Percy Chanda, High Commissioner of Zambia to India; Md Mushfiqur Rahman, Chairperson of SME Foundation and Dr Mohd Zayed Alam, Consul of Zambia in Bangladesh, among others, spoke on the occasion.
 
Abu Mukhles Alamgir Hossain, EPB Director (Policy and Planning)-Current Charge, and Issa Mainuddin, Attache, consulate office of Zambia to Bangladesh moderated the event.
 
Anwar Hossain said that as Bangladesh is emerging as a competitive and resilient export-driven economy, enhanced engagement with Africa-particularly with Zambia opens up exciting new opportunities.
 
"Zambia is strategically located as a vital gateway to several neighboring markets in Southern and Central Africa, including three other countries Congo, Malawi and Zimbabwe- for which Zambia acts as a trade corridor," he said.
 
He also said these linkages make Zambia a strategic access point for regional trade and investment.
 
 This forum, therefore, represents not only an opportunity to deepen ties with Zambia but also a gateway to a broader regional economic corridor, he added.
 
Crusivia C. Hichikumba said this business forum represents a milestone in strengthening commercial and investment ties between Zambia and Bangladesh.
 
The catalogue before you not only showcases Zambia's business and investment climate but serves as a practical tool for Bangladesh businesses seeking to establish meaningful partnerships with their Zambian counterparts, he added.
 
He said the forum enables captains of industry to explore collaborative opportunities, particularly in the priority sectors of agriculture, tourism, manufacturing and value-added products among others.
 
"As a country we aspire to become an industrialised nation with a diversified, innovative and globally competitive industrial base through trade facilitation, integration and market access," he added.
 
He said Bangladesh's proven expertise in garments, textiles, leather and leather products as well as pharmaceutical products would perfectly complement Zambia's growth trajectory.
 
 "Given the aligned sectoral interests, we see huge potential for increasing trade volumes between our nations. We are, therefore, very expectant and keen to explore possible partnerships for mutual benefits," he added.
 
He encouraged Bangladesh businesses to utilize this platform and connect with Zambian enterprises.
 
Mushfiqur Rahman said today's forum offers a timely opportunity to enhance bilateral engagement by creating a platform for knowledge sharing, business matchmaking, economic cooperation, and capacity building in the SME sector, reports BSS.
 
"We believe, there is strong potential for collaboration in areas such as apparel, agro-processing, plastic products, light engineering, renewable energy, ICT, and women-led enterprises," he added.