KARACHI - Suhrab Hosain, High Commissioner of Bangladesh, while expressing dissatisfaction over limited trade volume of less than $1 billion between Pakistan and Bangladesh, stressed the need to exchange trade delegations, enhance people-to-people and institutional linkages between the two countries which would help in improving the existing meager trade volume.
Exchanging views with KCCI President and Managing Committee members during his visit to KCCI on Monday, the Bangladeshi High Commissioner also expressed concern over trade imbalance between the two countries.
Suhrab Hosain further said that although many Pakistani businessmen and industrialists have been individually visiting Bangladesh for business purposes from time to time but collective efforts by Karachi Chamber and the Chambers of Commerce in Bangladesh were needed in order to improve trade between the two countries. He said that Bangladesh considers ‘Pakistan as not only a friend but also a brother’.
Referring to a particular suggestion pertaining to direct shipping line between Karachi and Chittagong to facilitate trade which was floated by him during his last visit to Karachi Chamber in 2011, Suhrab Hosain asked President KCCI to look into this matter as it was the business community’s job to raise voice for such facilities whereas ‘we work as catalyst’.
Identifying various sectors in which trade could be enhanced between the two countries, Bangladeshi High Commissioner particularly mentioned pharmaceutical, IT, telecom, agro-based industries and heavy engineering products etc. in which both countries could enhance trade.
He noted that Bangladesh has been producing sufficient energy of 13,000 megawatts, its GDP growth was above 6 percent and it also holds strong foreign reserves of $26 billion. “Our Readymade garment sector is ranked 2nd in the world which employs 3.4 million young women”, he added.
Deputy High Commissioner of Bangladesh in Karachi, Noor-e-Helal Saifur Rahman, President KCCI Iftikhar Ahmed Vohra, former President KCCI, Majyd Aziz, Chairman Diplomatic Affairs Sub-Committee Naeem Sharif, former SVP KCCI, Zia Ahmed Khan, former Vice President Nasir Mehmood and KCCI Managing Committee members were also present at the meeting.
Earlier, while welcoming the High Commissioner of Bangladesh, President KCCI Iftikhar Ahmed Vohra said that Pakistan and Bangladesh must forget the bitterness of the past and look forward towards closer friendly and brotherly relations. “We need to strive hard to improve the stature of people inhabiting in both countries”, he added.