DCCI president meets Malaysia’s deputy finance minister

Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) President Taskeen Ahmed today made a courtesy call on Malaysia’s Deputy Finance Minister Liew Chin Tong at a city hotel in Kuala Lumpur.

DCCI Senior Vice President Razeev H Chowdhury and Vice President Salem Sulaiman were also present at the meeting, said a press release here.

During the meeting, Taskeen Ahmed said bilateral trade between Bangladesh and Malaysia stood at approximately US$2.57 billion in fiscal year 2024-25.

He called upon the governments of the two friendly Muslim-majority countries to work more closely together and explore new areas of economic cooperation to further expand bilateral trade.

He said the two countries could create new business opportunities through the exchange of mutual trust, experience and technological capabilities.

The DCCI president said the Bangladesh government has recently announced long-term incentives and investment-friendly facilities in the renewable energy sector, including energy supply and solar power generation.

Considering Bangladesh’s growing energy demand and the potential of renewable energy, Malaysian entrepreneurs could establish long-term and mutually beneficial partnerships by investing in the sector, he said.

Such cooperation could be made more effective and sustainable through technology transfer, skills development and joint investment, Taskeen added.

He further said Bangladesh’s mobile financial services (MFS) sector is highly popular and successful, and its effective model is currently being adopted in various countries around the world, including countries in the Middle East.

The model could also serve as an example for Malaysia, he said.

Taskeen said Bangladesh imports goods worth approximately US$70 billion annually from countries around the world, making the country a large and promising consumer market.

He urged Malaysian authorities to expand their commercial activities and increase exports to Bangladesh by capitalizing on the potential of the vast market.

At the same time, he emphasized the importance of strengthening bilateral trade partnerships, diversifying products and increasing mutual investment between the two countries.

Malaysia’s Deputy Finance Minister Liew Chin Tong said there is significant demand for skilled manpower in Malaysia’s information and communications technology (ICT) sector.

If Bangladesh’s large young population can be equipped with the necessary technical and professional training, significant employment opportunities could be created for them in Malaysia’s labour market, he said.

He further said further modernization of the international transaction system is necessary to attract foreign investment and expand bilateral trade in Bangladesh.

In this regard, Malaysia’s experience and models in expanding Islamic finance, developing innovative financial products and establishing more efficient financial infrastructure could serve as useful examples for Bangladesh, he added.