The inaugural edition of the "Made in Bangladesh" exhibition, which concluded in Doha on Thursday, provided businesses in Qatar a glimpse of the investment climate and opportunities being offered by the South Asian country.

The three-day event showcased the different products and services available in Bangladesh. More than 60 Bangladeshi companies participated in the event, which was also highlighted by seminars and an investment roundtable on the third day.

The event was inaugurated by Bangladesh’s advisor to the Prime Minister Salman F Rahman. State Minister of Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam also visited the event.

Earlier, Alam held a meeting with his Qatari counterpart HE the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sultan bin Saad al-Muraikhi to discuss bilateral issues of common concern.

Alam invited al-Muraikhi to visit Bangladesh for the forthcoming Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) between Bangladesh and Qatar in the middle of February. Alam also held meetings with Qatar Investment Authority CEO Mansoor bin Ebrahim al-Mahmoud and Qatar Chamber second vice chairman Rashid bin Hamad al-Athba. The chamber official and Alam discussed the exchange of business delegations from both sides.

Thursday’s interactive investment roundtable gathered investment bankers, investors, and business houses from both countries. Moderated by Jaafar al Sarraf, vice president of Bangladesh Forum Qatar (BFQ), the discussion gave the audience valuable information on the investment climate, opportunities, and challenges for foreign investors.

Ershad Hossain, managing director of City Bank Capital from Bangladesh, delivered the keynote speech titled "Riding the Bangladesh Growth Story". Panelists included Fahmi Alghussain, CEO of Aventicum Capital; Haithem Katerji, chief investment officer at Al Rayyan Investment; Dr Ataf Ahmed, Global head of Asset Management at QInvest; and Chirag Doshi, head of Investment and Treasury at QIC.

Throughout the event, importers, and businesses from Qatar visited the stalls and engaged with their counterparts to enhance trade between the two countries. F&B, ICT, ceramics, pharmaceuticals, and fashion stalls witnessed significant footfalls.

Visitors also enjoyed the culinary delights of Bangladesh from the food corner. A number of business deals were also signed during the first two days, most notably an MoU was signed between Gulf Exchange of Qatar and Mercantile Bank from Bangladesh on Thursday.

Also, renowned Bangladeshi fashion designer Biplob Saha displayed his collections under the banner of "Bisho Rong". Cultural performances from the Bangladesh MHM School and College enthralled the crowd in between the fashion displays.

Supporting the first "Made in Bangladesh" expo were patrons EPB, sponsors the Qatar Financial Centre and Gulf Exchange, supporters Qatar Chamber and Qatari Businessmen Association, and media partners Gulf Times and ILoveQatar.


Related Story