POBNEWS24,Dhaka Jan 1, 2022: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has called upon the traders to focus on research for diversification of products and their own branding in the field of export and trade.
He said, ‘By maintaining the quality of the product, you (traders) can keep your market right and improve. You must pay attention to that. That means you have to move forward by creating your own branding.
Sheikh Hasina was speaking as the chief guest at the inaugural function of the 26th ‘Dhaka International Trade Fair-2022’ here on Saturday. He participated in the main event organized by the Ministry of Commerce and Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) at the newly constructed Bangabandhu Bangladesh-China Friendship Exhibition Center in the eastern part of the capital via video conference from Ganobhaban.
The Prime Minister said, “I attach great importance to research. I think we need more research in business. I urge every business entity, industry owner and entrepreneur to take the initiative to preserve the image of their country by specifically determining the demand and quality of our products and maintaining the quality of the product for export.
Sheikh Hasina said that today the world of technology is moving forward. We have also taken steps to create skilled human resources ahead of the 4th Industrial Revolution. So that we do not lag behind in any way, that is our goal.
He also credited all the entrepreneurs and employers, from the industrialists to the workers, for taking the economy forward, albeit in a limited way, in Corona. To a lesser extent we have been able to keep it all going, where many countries in the world have but this problem. The Prime Minister said that the government had been able to increase the growth to 6 percent in the past and hoped that it would be surpassed in the future.
Describing the current diplomacy as commercial diplomacy, the Prime Minister said she has already instructed every embassy, including the country’s foreign ministry, to do the same. We have conducted feasibility studies on 23 countries to implement bilateral and regional trade agreements, free trade agreements and integrated economic agreements in order to facilitate trade and commerce. In other words, as a developing country, we are working with a special focus on how we can deal with any challenge that comes our way.
Commerce Minister Tipu Manshi presided over the function. Commerce Ministry Senior Secretary Tapan Kanti Ghosh, FBCCI President. Jasim Uddin and AHM Ahsan, Vice Chairman and CEO of EPB delivered the welcome address.
Video footage of the activities of the Ministry of Commerce and the fair was presented at the event.
On the occasion, the Prime Minister declared 2022 ‘ICT Products and Services’ as ‘National Product of the Year 2022’ to encourage export trade in line with the export policy.
He said that in the last 2020-2021 financial year, the export income from ICT products and services exported from Bangladesh to the world has earned 436 million US dollars. He also said that the overall export of coronalin has also increased.
Sheikh Hasina said the role of export sector is very important in the economic development of Bangladesh. In particular, earning foreign exchange, creating employment, empowering women and alleviating poverty, which will lead Bangladesh towards more prosperity.
The head of government said that when the government was formed in 2009, the total export income was 15.56 billion US dollars. In the last 13 years, we have increased it to 45.36 billion US dollars. So we have been able to make this huge improvement. The Prime Minister reiterated her firm belief that her government would be able to build the dream of the father of the nation, hunger free, poverty free, developed, prosperous, self-reliant and self-respecting golden Bangladesh.
He called upon all to work together for the betterment of Bangladesh. And we have to take that opportunity.
Twenty-one years later, after the formation of the government for the first time in ’96, his government took steps to open up the private sector so that Bangladesh could move ahead in the field of industry, trade and export and also took initiative to create its own market. He said that 100 special economic zones have been set up across the country and employment opportunities have been created for the people by setting up regional based industries.
He said that in addition to creating a market for one’s own country, to make the people of one’s country financially prosperous, to increase their erosion capacity, because the industrialization of our country will be expanded only when we create our own market. In other words, the Awami League government created a huge opportunity for the creation of entrepreneurs in the private sector.
Noting that a country can prosper economically by expanding trade and commerce, the Prime Minister also urged the traders to find new markets in the international arena and diversify their export products. He also called upon the traders to focus on production and processing of agricultural products and food processing.
Although it was not possible to organize the fair last year due to the Kavid-19 epidemic, this is the first time that a month-long ‘Dhaka International Trade Fair’ (DITF) -2022 is being held at the newly constructed Bangabandhu Bangladesh-China Friendship Exhibition Center in Purbachal New Town for the first time.
This year the fair has been organized keeping in view the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the golden jubilee of the country’s independence and the development activities of the government.
