Bangladesh heading towards $60b export by 2021: Tofail

Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed yesterday said Bangladesh is heading towards bagging US$ 60 billion earning from export by 2021. "Bangladesh is working to attain efficiency to cope with the competitive global trade for achieving the goal," he added.

The commerce minister was addressing a seminar as chief guest at BIISS auditorium organized by the Center for Governance Studies (CGS). Citing that South Asia is responsible for less than 5 percent of global trade, he said there is no alternative to developing connectivity for boosting trade. 

"Under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh is working to implement BBIN (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal) and BCIN (Bangladesh, China, India and Myanmar) connectivity." Tofail said Bangladesh has formulated a trade policy securing local industry, resulting in the country's self-reliance in cement, iron, paper, CI sheet and few other products.

Economist M Shahidul Islam made a keynote presentation on the seminar with CGS President Professor Dr M Ataur Rahman in the chair. Former minister Chowdhury Kamal Ibne Yusuf, Jatiyo Samajtantrik Dal president A S M Abdur Rab, former FBCCI president Mir Nasir Hossain, former NBR chairman Dr Muhammad Abdul Aziz, former DCCI president Asif Ibrahim, ambassador Ashfakur Rahman and BIISS president ambassador Munsi Foyez Ahmed, among others, spoke on the occasion.