KARACHI - Deputy High Commissioner of Bangladesh Ruhul Alam Siddique said that Pakistan’s abundant resources coupled with exceptional talent can certainly do a lot for the economic progress and prosperity of this country.
Speaking at a meeting during his visit to Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Ruhul Alam pointed out that Bangladesh and Pakistan have been enjoying strong relations and both the neighboring countries should enhance economic cooperation and interaction at different levels.
The Bangladeshi envoy stated that Bangladesh has recorded a strong growth rate of more than 6 percent and was the 2nd largest manufacturer of ready-made garments. Currently, the literacy rate of Bangladesh was around 78 percent while efforts were underway to attain 100 percent literacy rate by the end of 2015, he added. Ruhul Alam Siddique, who has been discharging his duties as Bangladeshi Deputy High Commissioner since August 2010, termed his stay in Karachi as ‘most pleasant’ and appreciated the support and cooperation extended by the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry from time to time.
He said they have been striving hard to facilitate timely issuance of business visas to genuine applicants particularly those being recommended by KCCI. He informed the meeting that during his four-and-a-half years long stay, he never received a single complaint pertaining to trade dispute as it has been observed that any such dispute between businessmen were directly being settled by themselves which clearly indicates the strong bonds between people of the two countries.
He informed that subsidiaries of the two biggest Bangladeshi NGOs, ASA Pakistan Ltd. and BRAC Pakistan Ltd. have been working in Pakistan in the micro-finance and other social development sectors covering majority of Pakistan’s micro credit.  Earlier, while welcoming the Bangladeshi Deputy High Commissioner, President KCCI, Iftikhar Ahmed Vohra said that Pakistan and Bangladesh have been enjoying cordial relations whereas the Karachi Chamber has been focusing on furthering brotherly relations and trade ties with Bangladesh as they strongly believe that only collective efforts can lead to enhance trade volume between the two countries.