In a recent development, Professor Shibli Rubayat-Ul-Islam, the Chairman of the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC), has extended an invitation to German investors and businesses to participate in Bangladesh’s journey towards economic development. This call was made during the “Investment Flash Mob: Networking Launch” event held at the ‘J.W. Marriott Hotel Frankfurt’ in Frankfurt, Germany on Wednesday, November 1, 2023. The event was organized jointly by BSEC and the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA).
In pursuit of attracting global investors and promoting investment opportunities in Bangladesh, the ‘Bangladesh Investment Summit’ is being organized consecutively in various countries around the world. The most recent summit took place in Frankfurt, Germany, with the primary agenda being the expansion of trade and commerce and encouraging German investors and businesspersons to consider Bangladesh as an attractive, accessible, and profitable destination for foreign investments.
The event in Frankfurt commenced at 10:00 AM local time, with opening remarks from Md. Nojibur Rahman, Chairman of the Capital Market Stabilization Fund (CMSF) and former Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister. After the welcoming speech, an audio-visual presentation highlighted Bangladesh’s economic development. During the event, Professor Shibli Rubayat-Ul-Islam, Chairman of the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC), presented a talk titled ‘Fifty Years of Bangladesh: The Rise of the Bengal Tiger,’ emphasizing the long-standing bilateral relations between Bangladesh and Germany, commercial ties, and mutual cooperation. He also highlighted Bangladesh’s position as Europe’s largest trading partner.
Furthermore, Professor Shibli Rubayat-Ul-Islam praised the notable achievements of German companies, German NGOs, and institutions in Bangladesh and commended Bangladesh’s strategic position in South Asia. He underscored the potential and opportunities for investment in Bangladesh, advocating for Germany to take an active part in Bangladesh’s developmental journey.
In the context of recent global economic indicators, such as high GDP growth, poverty reduction, declining child mortality, increased food production, female participation in the workforce, expanding domestic markets, demographic dividend, skilled labor force, and political stability, the Chairman of BSEC painted a positive picture of Bangladesh’s economic growth and its various facets. He also emphasized that over the past 15 years, Bangladesh had transformed its economy from a $70 billion to a $465 billion one.
Moreover, he encouraged German investors to explore business expansion and investment in various promising sectors of Bangladesh, and he called upon them to play a significant role in the socioeconomic development of Bangladesh.
At the event, speeches were delivered by Shaikh Yusuf Harun, the Executive Chairman of the Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA), and Martin Geskes, the Managing Director of Planquadrat GMbH, as well as Lokman Hossen Mia, the Executive Chairman of the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA). In addition, Mokammel Hossen, the Secretary of the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism, Hanns Christoph Siebold, Vice President of the Frankfurt Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Ali Reza Majid, a member of the Board of Investment Promotion Zone Authority (BEPZA) and Additional Secretary, also spoke at the event. The event featured a question-and-answer session based on the opinions and questions of the attendees.
This successful event in Frankfurt, Germany is expected to boost the participation of foreign and expatriate investors in Bangladesh’s capital markets, leading to a substantial influx of foreign investments into Bangladesh, according to experts present, who expressed optimism about the outcomes.
