In a bid to boost trade and bilateral relations between Ghana and Bangladesh, an 11-member business delegation from the Bangladeshi Export Promotion Bureau are currently in Ghana to explore business opportunities.

The Bangladeshi business delegation’s first port of call was the Ghana Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) where they interacted with some members of the Chamber.

Welcoming the delegation to the Chamber plush building in Accra, the Vice President of GCCI, Mr. Prosper Adabla, passionately called on the Bangladeshi delegation to impress upon their government to open a consulate in Ghana so as to facilitate businesses between the two countries.

In his own words: “We hope you will do well to establish a consulate here as it would go a long way to foster smooth trade between Ghana and Bangladesh”.

Mr. Adabla commended the Bangladeshi delegation for their enthusiastic efforts at wanting to do more businesses with Ghana.

According to him, the Chamber would work with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration on how Ghana could also open a consulate in Bangladesh. Mr. Adabla reiterated Ghana’s desire to do business with any country willing to include her on its trade list.

The Vice Chairman, Bangladesh Export Promotion Bureau, who led the 11-member delegation, Mr. Shubhashish Bose, said the delegation chose Ghana because of the country’s sound economic growth, a gateway to West Africa, stable political environment, and availability of labour.

He told members of the Chamber that Bangladesh was interested in investing all sector of the Ghanaian economy through joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions, and partnerships.

Mr. Bose touted that Bangladesh was considered globally as the second largest exporter of garments, leather and knitwear, added “Bangladesh currently exports about 18 billion worth of goods to the United States alone, which represented about 23 per cent of its total exports”.

He therefore on called on Ghana to take advantage of all that they produce in Bangladesh to boost their trade basket. Our country has flexible policies concerning trade, so I urge Ghana to consider doing more business with Bangladesh, Mr. Bose added.

Mr. Bose said due to the country’s buoyant pharmaceutical sector, it manufactures about 97 per cent of all medicines used in the country. We will like to export some of these quality but affordable pharmaceutical products to Ghana and other parts of West Africa.

He stated that although Bangladesh was one of the least developed countries of the world, it was often seen by many as the gateway to Asia due to its strategic location on the continent. He used the occasion to appeal to the Ghanaian chamber to take advantage of the plethora of trade fairs which will be rollout by Bangladesh to increase their trade in Bangladesh.

Meanwhile, the Bangladesh business delegation is expected to visit Senegal, Liberia and Cote d’Ivoire, to explore business opportunities in those countries. Bangladesh has recognized the trading potentials of the African Continent and wants to expand its businesses into West Africa and the whole continent.