Bangladesh, Pakistan business leaders explore trade and investment ties

A high-level delegation from Pakistan recently visited Bangladesh to explore avenues of cooperation in the cement sector, focusing on enhancing trade, investment, and technology exchange in manufacturing and imports.

The delegation paid a courtesy call on Md Amirul Haque, president of the Bangladesh Cement Manufacturers Association (BCMA), at the association's office in Dhaka.

A discussion followed, bringing together representatives from government bodies, trade associations, and leading cement manufacturers from both countries, according to a press release.

Key discussion points included facilitating the import of Pakistani raw materials to meet Bangladesh's growing construction demand, exploring joint ventures and investment opportunities in cement plants, promoting technology transfer and skills development to enhance production efficiency, and streamlining trade procedures to reduce costs and strengthen supply chains.

From Pakistan, participants included Aurangzeb Khan of Noman Khattak Mines and Minerals; Farrukh Iqbal, proprietor of Nadeem Enterprises; Tamoor Akbar, managing director of Khadim Industry; Iftikhar A Awan, head of business development at KNK (Pvt) Ltd; and Nabeel Ahmed, proprietor of Nabeel Marble.

Representing Bangladesh were Mostafa Kamal, former BCMA president and chairman of Meghna Group of Industries; Imran Karim, first vice-president of BCMA; Mashiur Rahman, treasurer; Abhimanyu Saha, executive committee member; and Shankar Kumar Roy, executive director.

Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral economic cooperation and agreed to establish a joint working group to follow up on the proposals, the press release added.