US delegation in Dhaka to explore investment opportunities

A 45-member business delegation from the United States, representing 25 companies under the US-Bangladesh Business Council (USBBC), arrived in Dhaka on August 11 to explore investment opportunities.

The USBBC, a wing of the US Chamber of Commerce, is the advocacy body representing American business interests in bilateral trade with Bangladesh.

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The delegation includes officials from major American companies such as Chevron, Excelerate Energy, Visa and Mastercard, according to a US Embassy official in Dhaka.

They are targeting technology, AI and digital innovation, cloud and cybersecurity, healthcare and life sciences, renewable energy, advanced manufacturing, and the financial sector, the official added.

The delegation has held a series of meetings with trade bodies and ministry officials to gauge investment potential across sectors, the embassy official said.

MEETING WITH AMCHAM

Following their arrival, the delegation held an informal meeting at a Dhaka hotel yesterday with leaders of the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) in Bangladesh, a trade body representing US-affiliated companies operating in the country.

They sought details on trade barriers and priority investment sectors, according to AmCham members.

“We want to bring $5 billion investment from the US entrepreneurs in Bangladesh over the next five years,” a senior AmCham member said after the meeting.

MEETING WITH INDUSTRIES MINISTER

The delegation also met Industries Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir at the ministry on the same day.

After the meeting, Muktadir said the government is working to boost export capacity in the jute, leather, shipbuilding and ship-recycling sectors, according to a statement from the industries ministry.

Measures aimed at turning these sectors into multi-billion-dollar export industries will be announced publicly next month, he informed.

A proposed free trade agreement with the European Union was also discussed with the US delegation, the minister also said, adding that formal talks with the EU are expected to begin soon.

Muktadir added that the government is simplifying business processes and improving access to energy, and is introducing liberalisation in the banking sector that would give IT companies and freelancers easier access to digital payment gateways.

The two sides also discussed trade and export policy, the digital economy, e-commerce, and sectors Bangladesh should prioritise to reach a trillion-dollar economy.

MEETING WITH PM’S ADVISER

Separately, USBBC President Atul Keshap met Prime Minister’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Humayun Kabir at the Prime Minister’s Office, according to a statement from the foreign ministry.

Keshap said expanding private-sector cooperation between Bangladesh and the US was a priority, and expressed interest in taking bilateral business relations to a new level.

The meeting also discussed opportunities for US investment in infrastructure, energy, technology, the digital economy and healthcare.

Kabir said the government remains committed to maintaining a business- and investment-friendly environment for US investors.