Yesterday, on 17 April, the second edition of the “Best of Bangladesh in Europe” event kicked off and will close its doors today, 18 April.
The event showcases the dynamic potential of Bangladesh’s economy. It has taken place at Beurs Van Berlage, in Amsterdam and is expected to attract over 1500 visitors, including buyers, investors and stakeholders from around Europe.
The two-day nation branding event is being organized by Bangladesh Apparel Exchange (BAE) and powered by PDS Limited, in association with City Bank Plc, Bangladesh, and KDS Group, with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA).
The event featured 32 exhibitors representing eight vital sectors, including apparel, leather, jute and handicraft, IT, agri-food, poultry and seed, offering Bangladeshi businesses the opportunity to connect directly with international partners.
The exhibiting companies include Aus Bangla Jutex Ltd., Centrotex Ltd, Classical Handmade Products BD Ltd, Delmas Apparels Pvt Ltd, Knit Asia Ltd, KDS Group, Lal Teer Seed Ltd., Leatherina Pvt Ltd, Mapped In Bangladesh (MiB), Noize Jeans, Smartex, Pacific Knit Division, Paddock’s Jeans, Polka Flex, Paragon Group, Rising Group, Reverse Resources,Simco Spinning & Textiles Ltd. (Cyclo), Shin Shin Apparels Ltd, Tarango, Turjo Tex Limited, Team Group, and Zhejiang Weixing Industrial Development Co. Ltd.
The event saw the participation of various authorities and personalities, including, among others, Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun, executive chairman of Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) and Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA) as chief guest.
Photo: Best of Bangladesh
Best of Bangladesh
“Bangladesh has made remarkable progress over the years. The ready-made garment sector is a real powerhouse for the economy in Bangladesh, and the EU is the largest partner of Bangladesh, a role it will continue to maintain. Bangladesh has all the all ingredients to diversify its exports and can count on winning points like a skilled workforce, young people, competitive wages, innovations, improving infrastructure, digitalization and its geographic position,” said Charles Whiteley, head of South Asia Division, European External Action Service-EEAS.
“The Netherlands are honored to have established a long partnership with Bangladesh in trade, investments and developments. Bangladesh RMG sectors have worked hard to better various aspects of how they manage work through entrepreneurship’s responsibilities and fair wages, to name a few, as a basis for establishing a future business model,” said Pascalle Grotenhuis, director-general for International Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of The Netherlands.
“Dutch companies have a great potential and are eager to work with Bangladesh. Together we can work for the future. Tomorrow, a collaboration between the Netherlands and Bangladesh will be launched here in Best of Bangladesh,” added Grotenhuis.
“Best of Bangladesh has profoundly elevated our position in the international market. It is an outstanding opportunity for Bangladeshi businesses to showcase innovation and engage with key stakeholders, fostering partnerships that drive economic growth,” said Mostafiz Uddin, founder and CEO, Bangladesh Apparel Exchange (BAE), emphasizing the role of the event.
A vast program of discussions enlivened the first day of the event, hosting panel discussions like, for instance, “Bangladesh: Overarching Economic Growth and Investment Opportunities” and “Bangladesh into the Future: A Global Sourcing Hub, Country Presentation,” along with discussions about other key issues like decarbonizing of global supply chains, and circularity, among others.
READ ALSO: