Bangladesh asks for more Swiss investment

Bangladesh has asked for more investment from Switzerland in the country.

During the maiden meeting with the new Swiss Ambassador to Bangladesh Nathalie Chuard at the state guest house Jamuna on Wednesday, Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen requested her to encourage Swiss investors to invest in the Hi-tech parks of Bangladesh.

He also sought support from the European nation on issues related to Rohingyas and climate change, said the Foreign Ministry on Thursday.

The foreign minister briefed her about Bangladesh’s growing capabilities in the ICT sector, informing that the country is developing 28 Hi-tech parks and has a huge pool of IT professionals.

Praising the precision and high-quality of Swiss products, Momen invited Swiss investors to set up manufacturing factories in the special economic zones (SEZs) of Bangladesh, taking advantage of various incentive packages that are on offer for FDI, Bangladesh’s demographic dividend, and a growing middle class population.

Besides, such Swiss investment would enable Bangladeshi workers to learn from the Swiss manufacturing expertise, he added.

He pointed out that alongside the ready-made garments sector, the pharmaceutical and leather sectors are two other emerging export-oriented sectors of Bangladesh, and urged Switzerland to import more of these products.

Although August 25 marked the third anniversary of the latest Rohingya influx to Bangladesh, not a single Rohingya could be repatriated yet due to lack of political will and decisive action on the part of Myanmar, despite agreed commitments, underscored Momen.

Appreciating Switzerland’s continued support to resolve the Rohingya crisis, the minister called for a stronger role from the international community, including Switzerland's, to ensure sustainable repatriation of Rohingyas at the earliest.

The Swiss ambassador assured her country’s strong commitment in this regard.

Momen said despite international commitment for mobilizing money for adaptation and mitigation of the negative impacts of climate change, the present situation of climate finance is in a bad shape.

He urged Switzerland and other developed countries and international partners to mobilize more financial resources to address this global challenge collectively.

The new Swiss ambassador also called on State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam and Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen during her maiden visit.