volum e -iv m ay 2 0 10a jou rn al o f canada b an g lade sh c hambe r of c o mmerc e a nd industr y...

A journal of Canada Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry

May 2010Volume-IV

www.canchambangladesh.org

REVIEW

CanCham President Masud Rahman seen handing over honorary membership to Canadian MP and former Minister MariaMinna at a luncheon meeting in Dhaka. Canadian High Commissioner Robert McDougall is also seen

We are happy to note thatdue to persistent efforts by theCanadian High Commissionand the Canada-BangladeshChamber of Commerce andIndustry (CanCham), thegeographical distancebetween the two friendlycountries has since beenbridged with more businessand official contactsestablished. CanCham in its

own humble way has tried to promote inter-trade betweenCanada and Bangladesh which meanwhile exceeded onebillion dollar mark.

The duty-free access of Bangladeshi products toCanada contributed to the export growth whilecomparatively cheaper prices allured local importers tobuy more grains from Canadian markets. There must nowbe efforts from both the public and private sectors todevelop the trade relations to a new heights.

It is now very crucial that Bangladesh undertakes stepsto broaden its list of exportables. There should be acomprehensive market study in Canada and NorthAmerican states so that Bangladeshi exporters coulddiversify their products to feed the vast markets takingadvantage of duty-free access. On the other hand, we mayalso gain from rich Canadian expertise in the industrialfield. We may pertinently mention here that of late Gildanof Montreal has made an investment of $15 million inBangladesh and we would welcome more and moresuch Canadian direct investment in Bangladesh formutual benefits of our two countries.

CanCham : Vision and Mission

Board of DirectorsMasud RahmanPresidentK. M. KhaledVice-PresidentWali SattarSecretary GeneralManzur-ur-Rahman RuskinTreasurerSaiful IslamDirectorJ. Ekram HussainDirectorEnayet Ullah KhanDirectorSyed Mastafizur RahmanDirectorMd. Junaed Ibna AliDirectorFahim Abdul WahabDirector Hafeejul AlamSecretaryCanCham

C O N T E N T S

= CanCham AGM 2= Canada Bangladesh Trade Growing Faster 4= Canada offers renewable energy expertise 5= Canadian food products praised 7= STEP awards presentation ceremony 10= Canadian help in introducing CSR 14= Bangladesh Expo-2010 in Canada 15= CanCham call for more foreign investment 16= Prospects of renewable energy 19= Bangladesh-Canada economic cooperation 21= Shanghai hosts world’s biggest exposition 22= Bangladeshi Tourism 23

Canada Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and IndustryConcord Tower, Suite# 504 (5th Floor)113 Kazi Nazrul Avenue, Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh, Tel: +88-02-9359359, 9351427 Fax: +88-02-9359407E-mail : [email protected], [email protected] Website : www.canchambangladesh.org, www.cbcci.org

= Accelerate economic prosperity of Canadaand Bangladesh through trade andinvestment.

= With the valuable expertise of the honorablemembers from different business fields fromthe two countries, CanCham is committed toserve the business community of Canada aswell as that of Bangladesh.

Review Advisory BoardMasud Rahman, ChairmanWali Sattar, MemberManzur-ur-Rahman Ruskin, MemberJ. Ekram Hussain, MemberEditorRahman Jahangir

Masud RahmanPresident, CanCham

From President's Desk

2 CanCham Review, May 2010

CanCham AGM

Masud Rahman and Wali Sattar have been electedunopposed President and Secretary General of CanadaBangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry(CanCham) respectively at an annual general meetingheld on March 14, 2010 at Dhaka Club.

The well-attended AGM briefly described the roadmap of Canada-Bangladesh trade relations for the nexttwo years and highlighted different activities ofCanCham in promoting inter-trade between Canada andBangladesh which meanwhile exceeded one billiondollar mark.

The AGM was preceded by election of the Board ofDirectors and Office Bearers of CanCham for the term2010-2011. The following members were elected asoffice bearers:

Masudur Rahman : President

K. M. Khaled : Vice-President

Wali Sattar : Secretary General

Manzur-ur-Rahman Ruskin : Treasurer

The other Directors are J. Ekram Hussain, Md. JunaedIbna Ali, Enayet Ullah Khan, Syed Mastafizur Rahman,Saiful Islam and Fahim Abdul Wahab.

Welcoming the members of the Board of Directors atthe AGM, CanCham President Masud Rahmanexpressed thanks and gratitude to all the distinguishedmembers for their unstinted cooperation in running theaffairs of the chamber. He looked forward to havingactive participation of them in the coming days also.

Masud Rahman said, the CanCham is workingrelentlessly for the development of Canada-Bangladeshbusiness relations. However, in this work-a-day world,business relations cannot be isolated from thesociopolitical matrix of the concerned countries, headded.

Masud Rahman said, built upon shared values ofdemocracy and pluralism, relations between Canada andBangladesh are focused on development cooperation,trade and investment, immigration and people-to-peoplelinks and so on. Obviously, CanCham is now consideredas an indispensable entity in all those segments, henoted.

Masud Rahman, Wali Sattar re-elected CanCham President, Secy-Gen

Masud Rahman presiding over the Annual General Meeting of CanCham held on March 14, 2010

3CanCham Review, May 2010

Board of Directors for the term 2010-2011

Masud RahmanPresident

K. M. KhaledVice-President

Wali SattarSecretary General

Enayet Ullah KhanDirector

J. Ekram HussainDirector

Syed Mastafizur RahmanDirector

Md. Junaed Ibna AliDirector

Saiful IslamDirector

Fahim Abdul WahabDirector

Manzur-ur-Rahman RuskinTreasurer


Canada-Bangladesh Trade Growing Faster

$1b mark crossedCanCham Review report

Foreign Minister Dr Dipu Moni hasasked businessmen to fully utilise thepotential of the Canadian exportmarket, as bilateral trade betweenCanada and Bangladesh is growingfaster.

"We will strengthen negotiations sothat our businessmen can expandbusiness with this North Americancountry," Dr Dipu Moni said.

The Minister was speaking as thechief guest at a ceremony thatcelebrated an achievement of onebillion dollars in annual two-waytrade between Canada andBangladesh in 2009', at DhakaSheraton Hotel.

The Minister asked the Canadiangovernment for further mutualcooperation in ICT, telecom andenergy sectors.

Canada Bangladesh Chamber ofCommerce (CanCham) in Bangladeshorganised the function to celebratebilateral trade that reached C$1.4billion (C$1=$0.98) in 2009.

In his speech, Canadian HighCommissioner in Dhaka RobertMcDougall said Bangladesh exportedgoods to Canada worth C$808million, demonstrating 26 percentgrowth from the previous year.

Canada exported goods toBangladesh worth C$626 million, 118percent up from the same period of2008.

Canadian exports to Bangladesh in2009 featured grains and other foods,telecommunications and energyequipment and services, pulp andmetals, while Canadian importsincluded ready-made garments(RMG), hats, footwear, frozen foodsand ceramics.

"The tremendous growth inbusiness between our countries was

possible because of the relentlesseffort of the twinned businesscommunities of the two nations.Congratulations on the fruitful resultsof your hard labour," McDougall said.

He said diversification of productsand markets is an important elementto future export growth. Existingglobal competitiveness in garmentsand textiles can be replicated in otherareas, like leather andpharmaceuticals.

"Despite widespread poverty,frequent natural calamities and theimpacts of the global economic crisis,Bangladesh has developed a muchimproved reputation for economicmanagement and an emerging middleclass," McDougall added.

CanCham President MasudRahman said the chamber wouldshortly organise the 'ShowcaseCanada' programme to furtherpromote and facilitate inter-trade.

He said the mutually beneficialrelationship between Canada andBangladesh has not yet peaked. Thereis room for growth and it is in the

interest of both to make every effort toseize this opportunity, he added.

"The Export Promotion Bureau(EPB) of Bangladesh, in associationwith the Bangladesh HighCommission in Ottawa, Canada, willshortly organise a solo exhibition ofBangladeshi products in Toronto,"Masud Rahman said.

Meanwhile, the top five productsexported to Canada in 2009 includedwoven apparel worth C$367.18million, knitwear apparels worthC$336.93 million, other textilearticles worth C$72.86 million,headgear worth C$8.69 million andfish and seafood worth C$6.90million.

On the other hand, the top fiveproducts exported to Bangladesh in2009 included, cereals worthC$246.59 million, vegetables (mainlylentils) worth C$242.50 million, othergrains and seeds worth C$54.89million, iron and steel worth C$53.18million and wood pulp worth C$7.42million.

Masud Rahman, president of Canada Bangladesh Chamber of Commerceand Industry, speaking at a ceremony marking the $1.4 billion bilateral

trade between Canada and Bangladesh in 2009 at Dhaka Sheraton Hotel.Dr Dipu Moni, Foreign Minister and Robert McDougall,

Canadian High Commissioner are also seen.

Cover Story


CanCham Review report

Current Chairperson of CanadaBangladesh Parliamentary FriendshipGroup and former Minister forCanadian International DevelopmentAgency (CIDA) Hon’ble MariaMinna, MP has offered Canada’s richexpertise to Bangladesh for developingrenewable energy to face looming graveenvironment crisis.

She made the offer during a luncheonmeeting hosted in her honour byCanada Bangladesh Chamber ofCommerce and Industry (CanCham) atDhaka.

Maria Minna said, she is particularlyconcerned over the fate of millionsliving in the coastal districts of

Bangladesh and said, Canada couldgive a helping hand if Bangladeshseeks the former’s state of the arttechnology in renewable energy.

She said, Bangladesh can enrich itselfwith vast Canadian expertise in variousdevelopment fields but then Dhaka hasto explore such areas for its ownbenefit.

Canada offers rich renewable energy expertise to Bangladesh

Hon’ble Maria Minna speaking at a luncheon meeting Masud Rahman explaining significance of Ms MariaMinna's visit

Canadian T-shirt giant GildanActivewear Inc wrapped up theacquisition of Shahriyar FabricIndustries Ltd, choosingBangladesh as a base formanufacturing in Asia.

Gildan, based in Montreal, hasbought the Bangladeshi companyfor $15 million.

The acquirer will also assume thedebt of Shahriyar Fabric Industries,an export-oriented apparel maker,said Shahriyar Hossain, managingdirector of the company.

The 42-year-old entrepreneursaid business was going well, but

for some personal and financialproblems, it was difficult tocontinue.

Gildan plans to increase thefacility's annual productioncapacity to 3.5 million dozenT-shirts to support the company'sinternational business growthstrategy.

According to a montreal-gazette.com report, Gildan CEOGlenn Chamandy told the annualshareholders' meeting in earlyFebruary that Gildan planned tobuild a low-cost high-qualitymanufacturing base in Asia, but

excluded China as a potentiallocation.

According to CNNmoney.com,the acquisition is the result ofsubstantial analysis carried out byGildan to identify a strategiclocation to begin the developmentover time of a potential majorvertically-integrated manufac-turing hub in Asia with aninfrastructure and geographicallocation to position Gildan as alow-cost, high-quality producer toserve its target markets.

Gildan of Canada invests $15m in Bangladesh

Bilateral Relations


Hon'ble Maria Minna, MP addressing the luncheon meeting given in her honor. Also seen in the picture are(from left) Wali Sattar, Secretary General CanCham; H.E. Robert McDougall, High Commissioner of Canada

and Masud Rahman, President CanCham

The great champion of Bangladesh’scause in Canada, Maria Minna said, shewas greatly impressed by the resilienceof Bangladeshi people who do nothesitate to face climatic challenges likefloods and draughts. She said, shewould continue to highlightBangladesh’s cause in Canada as shedid in the past.

Maria Minna said, CIDA is thebiggest development partner ofBangladesh and its generous assistanceis helping millions in the country tostand on their own feet. “Such self-reliance is worth emulating in otherdeveloping countries, “she said.

Welcoming Maria Minna, CanChamPresident Masud Rahman laudedperceptible contribution of MariaMinna in enhancing the cooperationand trade ties between Canada andBangladesh. He also appreciated herlaudable role in such matters aswomen’s empowerment, world peace,global warming, and also in protecting

the rights of immigrants and visibleminority.

Masud Rahman said, trade andinvestment between Canada andBangladesh has by now reached anenviable level. The volume of bilateraltrade between the two countries reached$956 million in 2008, of whichBangladesh exported goods worth $642million and imported goods worth $314million. The bilateral trade betweenCanada and Bangladesh has sincecrossed one billion US dollars in 2009,despite economic recession with low-end Bangladeshi products particularlyreadymade garments. The CanChamchief said, Canada’s trade relationshipwith Bangladesh has grown in the lastcouple of years and will grow steadilyin the future.

Masud Rahman invited the Canadianinvestors to increasingly invest inBangladesh’s in such promising sectorsas power, energy, textile, garments,food processing and packaging, IT and

public services, for the investmentatmosphere is by and large favorable.

He said, the Canadian private sectorpresence here in Bangladesh is alsogrowing as Canadian companies arerealizing the opportunities that existwithin this market. Canadiancompanies have already made theirmarks in textile, infrastructure,telecommunications and energyprojects and are recognized inBangladesh for high quality productsand services. Bata is a major Canadiancommercial success story, a firm thatproduces and sells over three crore pairsof shoes a year in Bangladesh alone, hepointed out.

Canadian High Commissioner toBangladesh Robert McDougall alsospoke on the occasion. CanChamSecretary General Wali Sattar gave voteof thanks.

Distinguished businessmen and ChiefWhip of Bangladesh Parliament AbdusShahid were present at the function.

Bilateral Relations


Bilateral Relations


Speaking as chief guest at a seminarstyled “Canadian AgriculturalProducts” on February 16, 2010 atHotel Sonargaon, Dhaka, Food andDisaster Management Minister Dr.Muhammad Abdur Razzaque, MPlauded the quality of Canadianagricultural products and praised therole of the Saskatchewan Trade andExport Partnership (STEP) insupplementing the trade relationsbetween Bangladesh and Canada.

The Minister expressed hissatisfaction over the fact thatBangladesh and Canada enjoy a verywarm business relation. He urged theCanadian investors to get the benefit ofcongenial business environmentprevailing in Bangladesh and to investin different lucrative sectors includingagriculture, power, energy, foodprocessing and packaging, IT andpublic services.

The seminar was jointly organizedby the Canada-Bangladesh Chamber ofCommerce & Industry (CanCham) andthe Canadian High Commission inBangladesh. The purpose of theseminar was to allow Bangladeshibuyers and importers to network with

Canadian industry players whorepresent high quality agriculturalproducts and also to provide an insightinto Canada’s advances in research anddevelopment in this sector.

The seminar was attended bydistinguished business leaders ofBangladesh and members of theCanadian agricultural productsdelegation, consisting , inter alia, ofMr. Lionel LaBelle, President ofSaskatchewan Trade and ExportPartnership (STEP), Tim MarshallSenior Director, Asia Africa of STEP,Dale Risula of Ministry of Agriculture,Govern-ment of Saskatchewan, JohnBenett and Ms. Raelene Regier ofSaskatchewan Pulse Growers.

Canadian High Commissioner toBangladesh Robert McDougalldelivered an informative speech. Hesaid, Canada is a global leader inproducing and exporting manyagricultural products including wheat,peas, lentils, chickpeas, mustard seedsand canola. Saskatchewan has 53% ofCanada’s arable land and producesapproximately 60% of Canada’s wheatand 44% of Canada’s canola.

Canadian food products praised

Food and Disaster Management Minister Dr Abdur Razzaque MPaddressing a CanCham seminar on 'Canadian Agricultural Products' heldat Hotel Sonargaon in February. On the dais are (from left) John Benettof Saskatchewan Pulse Growers, HE Robert McDougall, Lionel LaBelle,President of STEP, Ms Raelene Regier of Saskatchewan Pulse Growers,

Dale Risula of the Ministry of Agriculture (Government of Saskatchewan)and Tim Marshall, Senior Director, Asia Africa of STEP

Masud Rahman addressing the seminar on Canadian Agricultural Products


Bilateral Relations

Saskatchewan is Canada’s mostimportant grain-producing region andis the world’s top exporter of lentilsand chickpeas. In 2008, Saskatchewanproduced 5.5 million tones of canola,which is close to half of Canada’s totalproduction. Saskatchewan is theworld’s largest exporter of mustard andcanary seed, as well as peas and possesalmost a third of Canada’s agriculturalbiotechnology industry.

Masud Rahman, President of theCanada-Bangladesh Chamber ofCommerce and Industry (CanCham)welcomed the local businesscommunity and the Canadianagricultural products delegation andrecalled that Saskatchewan Trade andExport Partnership (STEP) isproviding world-class speciallytailored services and programs that areof primary value to companies whichare exporting outside the borders ofSaskatchewan.

“We in Bangladesh have manythings to learn from the marketstrategy of STEP and urged ourgovernment to take similar steps todevelop our own export capabilities,”he said.

Tim Marshall Senior Directort, AsiaAfrica of STEP briefly outlined thegrowth and operational efficiency ofSaskatchewan Trade and ExportPartnership (STEP) and Dale Risula ofMinistry of Agriculture, Governmentof Saskat-chewan narrated in detailsthe role of provincial government inaugmenting the agricultural productionthrough partnership with STEP. JohnBenett and Ms. Raelene Regier ofSaskatchewan Pulse Growers gavetechnical details of different pulseproduction along with relevantbionetwork and substantiated thesame with necessary visual projectionand statistical data.

Distinguished businessmen of thecountry were present at the seminarwhich was rounded off with lunch.

Canadian farms, fisheries andranches produce a wide variety ofcrops, livestock, food, feed, fiber, fueland other goods by the systematic

H.E. Robert McDougall is addressing a seminar on CanadianAgricultural Products

raising of plants and animals which aredependent upon the geography of theprovince. In 2001 farms numberedonly 246,923 at a size of 676 acres asthe production of food and fiber forhuman or livestock sustenance hasevolved into intensive and industrialpractices. As of 2002, wheatconstituted the largest crop area at12.6%. Canadian farmers received arecord $36.3 billion in 2001 fromlivestock, crop sales and programpayments. In 2001, the accrued netincome of farm operators from farmproduction amounted to 1,633 milliondollars, which amounts to 0.147% ofCanada's gross domestic product atmarket prices which is 1,108,200million dollars. Fisheries are alsoplaying an important role whileforestry plays a secondary role.Canada's evolution has abandonedsubsistence techniques and now sees amere 3% of Canada's populationemployed as a mechanized industrialfarmer who are able feed the rest of thenation's population of 30,689.0thousand people (2001) as well asexport to foreign markets.

The marketing and economicmovement of Canada's variousagriculture commodities has been achallenge. Domestic tradeencompasses providing goods within

Canada provincially and inter-provincial. Support agencies andservices such as storage, railways,warehouses, stores, bankinginstitutions all effect domestic trade.Trade of wheat from the Canada'sprairies are monitored by the CanadianWheat Board. Canada's depression of1882-1897 brought a low of 64⁄ centsper bushel ($24/t) as of 1893. This eraduring Laurier's administration sawthousands of homesteads cancelled.Wheat prices soared during World WarI. In 1928, Canada exported highquantities of wheat, flour, and goods.The depression took its toll on Canadaas exports sunk to approximately 40%of their 1928 amount. Europeanmarkets stopped needing to importCanadian wheat as they startedgrowing their own varieties, and thenWorld War II events put a blockade ontrade to European markets. Canadabecame more of an industrial entityduring the time of this industrialrevolution, and less of an agriculturalnation. Following World War II theUnited Kingdom entered into contractfor a large amount of agriculturalcommodities such as bacon, cheese,wheat, oats and barley. After the UnitedKingdom, the United States is Canada'slargest external trade partner.


Seminar on Canadian agricultural products in pictures

(From left) John Benett of Saskatchewan Pulse Growers, HE Robert McDougall, Food and DisasterManagement Minister Dr Abdur Razzaque MP, Lionel LaBelle, President of STEP, Ms Raelene Regier of

Saskatchewan Pulse Growers, Dale Risula of the Ministry of Agriculture(Government of Saskatchewan) and Tim Marshall, Senior Directort, Asia of STEP

Tim Marshall speaking at the function


CanCham Review Report

The Canada-Bangladesh Cham-ber of Commerce & Industry(CanCham) and the Canadian HighCommission in Bangladesh jointlyorganized a "presentation of specialawards" ceremony followed bydinner on February 15, 2010 atHotel Sonargaon Dhaka, in honor ofCanadian Agricultural ProductsDelegation.

The delegation consisted ofLionel LaBelle, President ofSaskatchewan Trade and ExportPartnership (STEP), John Benett,Representative of SaskatchewanPulse Growers. Muhammad FarukKhan, MP, Minister for Commercegraced the occasion as the chiefguest.

Canadian High Commissioner toBangladesh Robert McDougall

delivered an informative speech inhis opening remarks. He stated thatCanada is a global leader inproducing and exporting manyagricultural products includingwheat, peas, lentils, chickpeas,mustard seeds and canola. Heoutlined that the purpose of thedelegation is to allow local buyersand importers to network with

STEP awards presentation ceremonyBangladesh invites Canadian investors

Commerce Minister Muhammad Faruk Khan (in the middle) has been the chief guest of the Special Awards Presentation ceremony

Bilateral Relations


Canadian industry players whorepresent high quality agriculturalproducts and also to provide aninsight into Canada's advances inresearch and development in thissector.

Masud Rahman, President of theCanada-Bangladesh Chamber ofCommerce and Industry(CanCham) welcomed the CanadianAgricultural Products Delegationand recalled that Saskatchewan issaid to be the granary of Canada andis a global leader in producing andexporting many agriculturalproducts including wheat, peas,lentils, chickpeas, mustard seedsand canola. Saskatchewan Tradeand Export Partnership (STEP),officially launched on August 21,1996, has the mandate to increaseSaskatchewan's exports to existingmarkets and to tap into new marketsby initiating sales, contracts, andprojects for Saskatchewanexporters.

Operating as a government/industry partnership, STEPchampions the province's exportindustry and assists provincialbusinesses in realizing globalmarketing opportunities whilefinding custom solutions forSaskatchewan exporters. As a non-profit, membership basedorganization, Saskatchewan Tradeand Export Partnership (STEP) isreportedly providing world-classspecially tailored services andprograms that are of primary valueto companies who are exportingoutside the borders ofSaskatchewan. We in Bangladeshhave many things to learn from themarket strategy of STEP and urgeour government to take similar stepsto develop our own exportcapabilities.

He further mentioned thatCanadian exports to Bangladeshshows 65 percent dependence onbulk foodstuffs, especially wheat,

canola and pulses. The Canadianpulse industry grew dramatically to4-5 million tones in recent yearsfrom less than one million tonesproduction in early 1990s.Bangladesh has become one ofCanada's top export destinations forpeas and pulses. Canada exported arecord 3900 crore taka in food andother agricultural products toBangladesh in the first 11 months of2009 alone. The volume of bilateraltrade between Canada andBangladesh reached $956 million in2008, of which Bangladeshexported goods worth $642 millionand imported goods worth $314million. The bilateral trade betweenCanada and Bangladesh has sincecrossed one billion US dollars in2009, despite economic recessionwith low-end Bangladeshi products.Canada's trade relationship withBangladesh has grown in the lastcouple of years and will growsteadily in the future. Bangladesh'ssuccess in garment and textileexports should spread to othersectors in Canada. There are manygoods Bangladesh produces thatcould be exported to Canada.

Lionel LaBelle, President ofSaskatchewan Trade and ExportPartnership (STEP) delivered hisvaluable speech in the meeting. Hestated that Saskatchewan is a largeprovince of Canada near about650,000 sq km area, it grows highvalued agricultural products and,through this visit, existing traderelation between Canada andBangladesh would be furtherstrenghened. John Benett,Representative of SaskatchewanPulse Growers also spoke on theoccasion and emphasized thatSaskatchewan's pulse industry islooking for new demandopportunities with a focus onenvironmental benefit. Hehighlighted upon growing traderelations between Canada andBangladesh

Muhammad Faruk Khan praisedthe role of the Saskatchewan Tradeand Export Partnership (STEP) inaugmenting the trade relationsbetween Bangladesh and Canada.He expressed satisfaction thatBangladesh has a favorable balanceof trade with Canada. He alsoopined that it's the time that theCanadian investors be informedabout congenial businessenvironment prevailing inBangladesh and that they can nowinvest in different lucrative sectors.Bangladesh offers a multitude ofbusiness opportunities.

Besides, the province ofSaskatchewan can also recruitBangladeshi farmers to furtherboost up their production Heconcluded that a population ofapproximately 160 millioninhabitants, making it one of themost heavily populateddemocracies in the world with astrong middle class base,Bangladesh can unquestionably be abetter destination for the Canadianinvestors.

Distinguished businessmen of thecountry were present at the function

Saskatchewan Trade and ExportPartnership (STEP) was officiallylaunched on August 21, 1996 with amandate to increase Saskatchewan'sexports to existing markets and totap into new markets by initiatingsales, contracts, and projects forSaskatchewan exporters.

As a non-profit, membershipbased organization, STEP bringsthese resources together to provideworld-class specially tailoredservices and programs that are ofprimary value to companies who areexporting outside the borders ofSaskatchewan. These servicesinclude Trade Development, MarketIntelligence, International Financeand Logistics, and InternationalDevelopment Projects.

Bilateral Relations


Awards presentation in pictures

Faruk Khan speaking at award-giving ceremony Masud Rahman highlighting importance of the occasion

Chairman of City Group of Industries Fazlur Rahman Managing Director TK Group of Industries M A Kalam

Chariman of MEB Group of Companies Nurul Absar Chairman of Surovy Group Md. Masum

Representative of Mostafa Group of Companiesreceiving award

Managing Director of M/S Hajee Mir Ahmed SawdagarAbdus Salam


Awards presentation in pictures

Chairman of Meghna Group Mostafa Kamal Managing Director of Masud & Brothers A. B. Chowdhury

Managing Director of Ghazi Chemicals Company Abdul Wahab Ghazi

Managing Director of Huma Corporation Hasan Shahid

Managing Director of Yasir Enterprise (Pvt) Ltd Mojaher Hossain

Representative of Imam Group Of Industries receiving award

Proprietor of M/S Tasnima Impex Shamsul Alam Mortoza R. Tarafder (Canadian Trade Commissioner)


Bilateral Relations


Prime Minister’s Special AdviserH.T. Imam has acclaimed Canada’sassistance in introducing CorporateSocial Responsibility in Bangladesh ashe said people are the main focus of thepresent Bangladesh government’sstrategy for people’s welfasre.

He was speaking as the chief guest ata workshop on “People, Profit andProtecting the Planet” in Dhaka. Theworkshop was jointly hosted by theCanadian High Commission and theCanada Bangladesh Chamber of

Commerce and Industry (CanCham). HT Imam thanked Reed Consultancy

Bangladesh Ltd for its contribution toimplementation of CSR in Bangladesh.He noted that this was the third seminarfunded by foreign governments whichwere all related to aspects of improvingbusiness relationships, helpingBangladesh companies gain overseasmarket share and also help alleviatepoverty.

The Special Adviser to PrimeMinister Sheikh Hasina touched onthree aspects of the seminar, people,

profit and protecting the environment.He said, people are an essential elementof the government’s manifesto andanything helping to promote goodbusiness practice was welcome. He saidhe cannot understand profit but herecognised it played an essential role inbusiness.

HT Imam said, his main thoughtswere regarding the Climate ChangeConference taking place inCopenhagen. He pointed out thatBangladesh has been given the statusof MVC standing for Most Vulnerable

HT Imam lauds Canadian help in introducing CSR in Bangladesh

Adviser to the Prime Minister H.T. Imam seen presenting a certificate of participation to a participant in a workshop onCSR. CanCham President Masud Rahman and CIDA Country Director Robert Beadle are also seen


Bilateral Relations

Country with over 20 million peopleat risk of displacement if the effects ofclimate change and global warming arenot stopped. He believed CSR playedan important part in looking after theenvironment and welcomed theapproach and the seminar advancing itscause.

Imam said, the course contents wouldbe valuable and he hoped it had beenpresented clearly and delegates wouldimplement all the key aspects.

The workshop was held at the

Canadian Recreation Center, 5 MadaniAvenue, Baridhara, Dhaka.

Robert Beadle, Country DirectorCIDA in Bangladesh and MasudRahman, President of CanCham inBangladesh were also present at thefunction.

The lead trainer for the CSRWorkshop was Rodney Reed,Chairman and Principal Consultant ofReed Consulting Bangladesh. He wasassisted by Shanta Dutta,Environmental Protection Consultant,

Reed Consulting Bangladesh Ltd andTanjeena Jahangir - Labour Relationsand Human Resources Consultant,Reed Consulting Bangladesh Ltd.

During the participative trainingworkshop, it was made clear that CSRenables businesses to be sociallyresponsible, sustainable and profitable.The CSR training workshop with thetitle ‘Profit, People and PreventingPollution focussed on CSR inside thefactory gates and the speakersdemonstrated the practical and financialbenefits.


Bangladesh will hold a single-country fair in Canada nextmonth aiming to expand themarket of North America forBangladeshi products.

The three-day solo fair titled 'ExpoBangladesh 2010' will start on May26 in Toronto.

About 45 reputed Bangladeshicompanies are scheduled toparticipate in the fair.

A six-member team of the CanadaBangladesh Chamber led by itsPresident Masud Rahman metCommerce Minister Faruk Khan athis office to discuss aboutBangladesh Expo-2010 in Canada.

The minister assured the delegationof his government's all-out support toexpand trade between the twocountries.

Bangladesh will showcase theirmajor exportable items includingreadymade garments, knitwear,ceramic, footwear, leather goods,frozen foods, jute goods andhandicrafts in the fair.

CanCham team calls on Commerce Minister

Bangladesh Expo-2010 in Canada

A CanCham team led by its President Masud Rahman met Commerce MinisterFaruk Khan at the latter's office



Speakers at a luncheon meetinghosted by the Canada BangladeshChamber of Commerce andIndustry (CanCham) have urged theBangladesh government to createconditions for more Canadianinvestment in the country.

The luncheon meeting, focused on“Bangladesh’s Potentials forForeign Investment’, was held atDCCI Auditorium, on 22November, 2009.

CanCham President MasudRahman chaired the meeting inwhich among others ExecutiveChairman, Board of Investment, Dr.S A Samad, High Commissioner ofCanada Robert McDougall and VicePresident CanCham John DouglasHearns were present.

In his welcome address, MasudRahman highlighted the sluggishinvestment scenario in Bangladesh

and pointed out that import ofcapital machinery dropped by

22.36% and that of industrial rawmaterial by 12.56% in July- August,2009 compared to that of last year.Similarly export declined by11.66% in the 1st quarter of currentfinancial year.

He called for expeditiousimplementation of AnnualDevelopment Plan (ADP) so thatpublic investments could lead to aspurt in private investment. MasudRahman said, the sectors whichneed immediate investment areinfrastructure, power, energy anddevelopment of human skills. Forthis, he appreciated the governmentinitiative for Public PrivatePartnership (PPP) with a budgetallocation of Tk. 2,100 crore.

“This may be utilized forattracting private investment,” hesuggested.

Masud Rahman also stressed theneed for creating a favorableinvestment climate and brandingBangladesh to attract investors. He

CanCham call to create conditionsfor more foreign investment

CanCham President Masud Rahman discussing a point with Board ofInvestment Executive Chairman Dr. S A Samad

Canadian High Commissioner Robert McDougall addressing the seminaron Bangladesh's potentials for foreign investment

Bilateral Relations


Bilateral Relations

mentioned about the investors’perception survey made by Centrefor Policy Dialogue whereadministrative barriers, poorelectricity supply were mentionedas two main impediments againstforeign private investment. Delay inproperty registration andenforcement of contract are alsohindering private investment.Although corruption has beencurtailed to some extent, still itremains as a barrier in getting adecision in time from thegovernment, the CanChamPresident stated.

John Douglas Hearns, VicePresident , CanCham, in his keynoteaddress, said, FDI is an essentialelement for Bangladesh in order tostimulate GDP growth. He said aGDP growth of 10% or more isnecessary to achieve the goal ofpoverty eradication andemployment generation. He pointedout that potential for futureinvestment from Canada issignificant provided that investmentclimate is made attractive and safe.The potential sectors are: powergeneration & transmission, oil andgas, ICT and sustainable energyresources.

The CanCham Vice Presidentasked for more pro-active approach

from CIDA, Export DevelopmentCanada and the government ofBangladesh. He called for two mainimportant initiatives: (1)Development of an aggressive long-term campaign to promoteBangladesh to potential foreigninvestors as a safe and profitableinvestment destination and (2)necessary steps to ensure investment-friendly environment in reality.

Hearns also pointed out thatBangladesh has many positiveelements namely; market of 150million people, low cost and highlyproductive labour force, locationbetween India and China,availability of huge agro-based rawmaterials, sea-ports and politicalstability. He underlined the need toaddress some key-issues like thecomplexity and misuse of VATsystem, lack of enforcement ofintellectual property rights, powershortage, misuse of income taxsystem, improvement in law andorder situation, transportationinfrastructure, enforcement ofenvironmental law for all andproper administration of exportincentive programme.

High Commissioner of CanadaRobert McDougall said, Bangladeshhas good potentials for investmentin IT sector, power sector, fertilizer,food processing and transportation.He pointed out that the success ofRMG sector can be replicated inthese areas but the prerequisites areremoval of administrative barriersand change in basic administrativeculture to create a favourableinvestment climate so as to increaseinflow of international technologyand expertise which are key to

Dr S A Samad giving a brief on foreign investment prospects inBangladesh

CanCham President Masud Rahman speaking at a meeting on Bangladesh's Potentials for Foreign Investment


Bilateral Relations

unlock the door for prosperity ofBangladesh.

Dr. S. A. Samad said, ForeignDirect Investment (FDI) reachedUS $ 1 billion in 2008 and in 2009FDI might have declined to someextent. He also highlighted someaspects of competitive advantagesof Bangladesh like: low cost workforce, low cost energy, strong localmarket, strategic location, provenexport competitiveness and specialeconomic zones.

The Board of Investment chiefsaid, currently 81% investment inthe Bangladesh economy is madeby the private sector. He alsomentioned about the Vision 2021 ofthe present democratic government.To achieve the goal of Vision-2021,strategies are now being devisedand action plans being formulated,he said adding that BOI is nowbeing reformed. It will work as aone stop service provider andfacilitator and not as a regulator,said Dr SA Samad. A partial view of distinguished guests at the luncheon meeting

CanCham Vice President John Douglas Hearns speaking

He welcomed foreign investorsas the prime partners in theeconomic development ofBangladesh. “There is no otheroption, but to have a strong and

sustained economic growth for alonger period so as to createemployment and alleviate poverty, “Dr Samad opined.


Bilateral Relations

CANCHAM Review report

Infrastructure DevelopmentCompany Limited (IDCOL) andCanada Bangladesh Chamber ofCommerce and Industry (CBCCI)jointly organised a meeting onrenewable energy prospects inBangladesh at Dhaka Chamber ofCommerce and IndustriesAuditorium on November 4, 2009.

The meeting coveredpresentations, discussions and aninteractive session. Professionals,academicians, multilateral agencies,practitioners, and other keystakeholders in the renewableenergy sector in Bangladeshattended the meeting.

Masud Rahman, President,CBCCI, opened the ceremony bywelcoming the participants. Heproposed that Bangladesh reduceher dependence on imported oil andexplore the feasibility forharnessing alternative sources ofenergy to ensure energy security.

Munawar Misbah Moin,Managing Director, RahimafroozRenewable Energy Limited andDipal Chandra Barua, ManagingDirector, Grameen Shakti sharedtheir views on opportunities andpotentials of renewable energy inBangladesh.

Barua proposed that a dedicatedministry be established to promoteand institutionalize the renewable

energy activities in Bangladesh. Islam Sharif, Executive Director

and CEO, IDCOL presented thekeynote speech and moderated aninteractive discussion session onrenewable energy policy.

In his speech, Sharif stressedenhanced government support toenable and encourage more privatesector investments into the sectori.e. Feed-In-Tariff/incentive tariffsystem.

Robert McDougall, HighCommissioner of Canada inBangladesh was present in themeeting. He expressed his intereston behalf of Canadian HighCommission to entertain businessproposals on renewable energy

Prospects of renewable energy in Bangladesh explored

CanCham President Masud Rahman speaking at a joint meeting on renewable energy at DCCI auditorium.IDCOL and CanCham organised the meeting


Meeting on renewable energy in pictures

H. E. Robert McDougall High Commissioner of Canadaaddressing the meeting

Dipal Chandra Barua, Managing Director of Grameen Shakti speaking at the function

Munawar Misbah Moin, Managing Director,Rahimafrooz Renewable Energy Limited speaking

at the function

Robert Beadle, Country Director & Head ofDevelopment Co-operation (CIDA) talking with

Robert McDougall

Salahuddin Kasem Khan, former President ofBangladesh Malaysia Chamber Of Commerce &

Industry, seen discussing a point with Masud Rahman

PowerPoint presentation by Islam Sharif, ExecutiveDirector and CEO, IDCOL


Bilateral Relations

by Hafeejul Alam

Canada is one ofthe few countrieswhich recognisedand establishedbilateral relationswith Bangladeshjust afterindependence in1971. Built upon

shared values of democracy andpluralism, bilateral relations between thetwo countries are focused ondevelopment cooperation, trade andinvestment, regional security,immigration and people-to-people links.It is widely believed that Canada andBangladesh can work together instrengthening parliamentary democracy,improving education system andexpanding business opportunitiesbetween the two countries. It may berecalled that the parliament election heldon December 29, 2008 gave Bangladeshan opportunity of strengtheningdemocracy and parliamentary system inBangladesh. This has greatly enhancedthe image of Bangladesh among thenations of the world. The formation ofparliamentary friendship forum betweenBangladesh and Canada has been a greatstep forward and this would lead to moreexchanges of parliamentarians betweenthe two countries and strengthen therelations between the parliaments of thetwo countries.

The parliamentary friendship forumwill eventually pave the way forenhanced bilateral relations under aninstitutional framework and play acrucial role in promoting mutualcooperation in anti-terrorism campaign,development of democratic institutionsand conservation of environment, apartfrom developing routine bilateral tradeties.

It may be recalled that Bangladesh is,after India, the second largest exporter ofgoods from South Asia to Canada.

Canada’s primary imports fromBangladesh include ready-madegarments, fish, bicycles, textile fabricand yarn, footwear and ceramics.

The main Canadian exports toBangladesh include iron and steel,vegetables, cereals, machinery, oil-seeds,electrical machinery and pharmaceuticalproducts. Bangladesh continues toexperience a moderate rate of economicgrowth. However, the recent explosivegrowth in such sectors as servicespresents significant opportunities forCanadian investors. Businessopportunities will expand as theeconomy grows. On trade andinvestment, the scenario has by nowreached an enviable level. The volume ofbilateral trade between the two countriesreached $956 million in 2008, of whichBangladesh exported goods worth $642million and imported goods worth $314million. The bilateral trade betweenCanada and Bangladesh crossed onebillion US dollars in 2009, despiteeconomic recession and low-endBangladeshi products, particularly ready-made garments.

Canada’s trade relationship withBangladesh has grown in the last coupleof years and is projected to grow steadilyin the future. Of the total exportableitems from Bangladesh to Canada, aduty-free market for the country since2003, 95 per cent is garment items.Bangladesh’s success in garment andtextile exports should spread to othersectors in Canada. There are many goodsthat Bangladesh produces could beexported to Canada. Bangladesh canexport porcelain or china, table andkitchenware. There is also heavy demandfor jute and quality jute goods in Canada.Of late, agro-commodities,communication equipment, metals, pulpand paper are also being traded both theways.

It’s time that the Canadian investorswere informed about the congenial

business environment that prevails inBangladesh and that they can now investin different profitable sectors. TheCanadian investors can increasinglyinvest in Bangladesh in such promisingsectors as power, energy, textile,garments, food processing andpackaging, IT and services.

Bangladesh shows signs of politicalprudence and economic development. Itsmiddle class is growing rapidly andseveral state-of-the-art sectors aredeveloping, thanks to a highly educatedwork force. With approximately 150million people, Bangladesh is one of themost populous democracies in the worldand its middle class is 30-million strong.The government is committed to furtherliberalise the investment regime. There isa network of well-establishedBangladeshi expatriates and immigrantsin Canada. The knowledge of the Englishlanguage is widespread in the countryand the legal system is inspired by theBritish Common Law. Bangladeshshould therefore be an attractiveinvestment destination for the Canadianbusiness people.

The investment climate is alsoimproving gradually fuelled by theglobal recovery, with signs ofstrengthened economic activities in theUS, Canada and European countries.Furthermore, the government hasannounced financial stimulus packagesto boost certain priority sectors withspecial support for the industrial sector.The central bank has also taken measureslike relaxing conditions for borrowing,lowering interest rates as well aswidening the range of financial assetsadmissible as collateral to maintainadequate liquidity and credit flow to themarkets. The government has also beentaking significant steps to plug thegrowing power and energy shortages anddevelop infrastructure. Steps such asprivate-public partnership will hopefullyattract sufficient investments to lay thefoundation for a stronger performancein FY10.

Bangladesh-Canada economic cooperationincreasing to mutual advantage


Bilateral Relations

Private investment from foreignsources is welcome in Bangladesh andthere is no restriction on the amount ofinvestment or equity shares. 100 percent foreign investment and jointventures with local private partners orwith the public sector are freelyallowed.

Suppliers of products and services forthe following sectors are welcome inBangladesh: power generation, greentechnologies, information technologyand telecommunication, life sciences,natural resources, infrastructures, heavyindustry machinery and medicalequipments. The business people ofboth Canada and Bangladesh shouldbetter assess the development potentialof their business in Bangladesh. Theprospective investors can also take thebenefit of a number of internationalinvestment regimes available inBangladesh. Bangladesh is a signatoryof Multilateral Investment GuaranteeAgency (MIGA), Overseas PrivateInvestment Corporation (OPIC) ofAmerica and International Centre forSettlement of Investment Disputes(ICSID).

The Multilateral InvestmentGuarantee Agency of the World Bankgroup encourages the flow of foreigndirect investment (FDI) to, and among,developing member countries byproviding guarantees to foreigninvestors against loss caused by non-commercial risks. MIGA’s guaranteeprotects investors against losses arisingfrom the risks of currency transfer,expropriation and war and civildisturbances. MIGA ensures newinvestment, privatisation and financialrestructuring.

The ICSID is mainly for thesettlement of investment disputesbetween states and nationals of differentstates. ICSID seeks to encouragegreater flows of internationalinvestment by providing facilities forthe conciliation and arbitration ofdisputes between governments andforeign investors. Bangladesh hassigned bilateral agreements for theavoidance of double taxation withJapan, Italy, Singapore, Sweden,Republic of Korea, United Kingdom(including Northern Ireland), Canada,Malaysia, Romania, Sri Lanka, France,Germany, India, Pakistan.

OPIC is the most important USgovernment agency which is in aposition to promote greater investmentinterest in countries like Bangladesh byproviding loan financing andinvestment insurance to NorthAmerican investors. OPIC also supportsefforts by Bangladesh to attractincreased foreign private investment. Inorder to secure its investment inBangladesh any organisation may seekOPIC’s insurance coverage.

There is thus a great prospect andpromise for Canadian investment inBangladesh. Free and fair trade with aproper regard for social andenvironmental goals and appropriatepolitical accountability will foster notonly bilateral relations but will alsobring global well-being.

—Hafeejul Alam is SecretaryCanCham in Bangladesh

e-mail: [email protected](Abridged from the write-up, firstpublish in The Financial Express

Dhaka on February 25, 2010)

Shanghai kicked off the six-monthWorld Expo recently with a star-studded gala ceremony set to end in alavish blaze of fireworks and lightalong the city’s riverfront. Stillbasking in the glow of its successfulstaging of the 2008 Beijing Olympics,China is treating the Expo as anequally important showcase for itsgrowing political and economic clout.From the United States to NorthKorea, a total of 189 countries willtake part in the six-month display ofideas, culture and technologyexpected to attract at least 70 millionvisitors — the vast majority of themChinese.

“Expo 2010 Shanghai is nowopen!” Chinese President Hu Jintaodeclared, after the national anthemrang out in the Expo cultural centre

and the flags of all participatingcountries were paraded through thegiant hall. Hong Kong action film starJackie Chan serenaded thousands ofguests including 20 world leaders toopen the event. The gala — set to endwith a fireworks and light showplanned by the team behind theopening and closing ceremonies forthe Vancouver Winter Olympics —was a departure from past WorldExpos, with an all-star line-up.

Italian pop tenor superstar AndreaBocelli, Chinese pianist Lang Langand the Soweto Gospel Choir fromSouth Africa were expected to joinChan as part of the extravagantfestivities. “We look forward tostunning the world,” said IgnatiusJones, the artistic director of theceremony, which is to feature huge

Shanghai hosts world’s biggest exposition

See Page 24

fireworks and a chain of searchlightsalong a 3.5-kilometre (two-mile)stretch of Shanghai’s riverfront.

Once Expo’s gates open to visitorson Saturday, participating countrieswill vie to outdo each other inpresenting the best they have to offerthe world — with a particular eye onChina’s market of 1.3 billion people.Denmark has made a splash bybringing its “Little Mermaid” statueout of Copenhagen for the first time,France has impressionist paintingsand Rodin sculptures, while Italy isshowing works by Renaissancemaster Caravaggio. India is bringinga cast of Bollywood stars andCanada’s pavilion will bear theimaginative touches of contemporarycircus troupe Cirque du Soleil.

Past Expos are remembered for


Bangladesh Tourism

By Majbritt Thomsen

The presence of tourism in anydestination always brings with itenvironmental and socio-cultural aswell as economic impacts. This is whytourism internationally is often praisedas an effective development tool,especially in rural areas and thedeveloping world. A sustainabletourism development would no doubthave a major positive impact inBangladesh.

Since the 1990s tourism has been asmall but rapidly growing sector of thenational economy. Nevertheless,Bangladesh is still one of the countriesin the South Asian region with theleast arrivals and the lowest revenueearned from the tourism industry.Sustainable tourism initiatives existand demand is increasing, butsustainable tourism management is notwidespread in the sector.

In 2008 World Travel & TourismCouncil (WTTC), an international

Bangladeshi tourism has so muchpotential - if the right actions are taken

Savouring unique nature's beauty

business leader forum, predicted thatthe Bangladeshi contribution fromnational Travel & Tourism to the GrossDomestic Product (GDP) will stay at4% from 2009 to 2019. I 2009 these 4percentage is expected to account for244,8 billion Taka, which by 2019 willincrease to 711,3 billion Taka. TheReal GDP growth for the BangladeshiTravel & Tourism Economy is herebyexpected to be 3.5% in 2009 andincrease to average 6.0% per annumover the next 10 years.

The low national travel and tourisminvestment is one obviousdevelopment obstacles. According thesame WTTC report the Bangladeshitravel and tourism capital investmentout of total investment 2009-2019 willdrop from 4,1% to 3,9%. In 2009 thissame period average South Asianinvestment is 7,7%, with no ten yearforecast data available. Averagefigures for world travel and tourism

investment capital out of totalinvestment is 9,4% in 2009 and 9,3%in 2019.

Despite poor forecasts and multiplesector obstacles, several internationalplayers have highlighted Bangladeshas a desired tourism destination duringthe last couple of years. In terms ofpositive national tourism branding thiskind of publicity is not even possibleto buy for money.

1: Lonely Planet, which is in theworld's absolute leader in publishingtravel guides and guidebooks,recommended Bangladesh in 2008 asone of the top ten interesting traveldestination in 2009. 'Let's get thisstraight from the start. Bangladesh isnot the country of disappointment asportrayed in 'Brick Lane' or by theinternational media, nor is it merelythe poorly endowed cousin of India.Instead Bangladesh is a revelation


Bangladesh Tourism

that actually leaves India looking alittle worse for a wear. Any visitor whoventures here will return home withstories so improbable that claimingyou have a pet unicorn is likely to bemet with fewer disbelieving shakes ofthe head.' Lonely Planet's Best inTravel 2009, p 6.

2: The publication of twoBangladeshi travel guides fromsuccessful international publishers.

The first Bradt travel guide onBangladesh was published October2009. This UK publisher is knownas a pioneer in tackling 'unusual'destinations, for championing thecauses of sustainable travel and forthe high quality of writing. The backcover text states: "Bangladesh has areputation for being poor and besetby flooding, but this 'republic ofrivers' rewards those willing to lookbeyond the headlines. […] Leaveluxuries behind and embark on therichest of travel experiences amongsome of the sub-continent'sfriendliest people".

Lonely Planet published their 5thedition of their Bangladeshi travelguide in 2008, with the followingintroduction "For all of its forests,temples, mosques, islands andbeaches, the highlight of Bangladeshis Bangladesh" (p. 3).

3: The online worldwideNew7Wonders of Nature campaignstarted in 2007 with more than 440candidate locations from 220countries. Represented Bangladeshilocations were Sundarbans, amangrove forest already nominateda UNESCO heritage site, and Cox'sBazar beach. By global voting andexpert selection the candidates havebeen narrowed down two times inJuly 2009 to 77 and 28 candidates.Sundarbans is still in thecompetition and voting will continuethroughout 2010 and into 2011 tonarrow down the candidates to 7.The winner of New7Wonders ofNature will be found during 2011.

Let there be no doubt, national aswell as international; the Bangladeshtourism sector has indeed potential anda sustainable tourism development inBangladesh is possible if will,knowledge, action and investment arejoined. These are profound convictionsof Majbritt Thomsen, a Danishexpatriate with a MA in tourism, twoyears of living and traveling inBangladesh, a study done on thepotential of the Bangladeshi tourismsector for the Royal Danish Embassy,Dhaka, and contact with a variety ofpeople related to the national tourismsector. This experience has showed herover and over again that there aremany professional, motivated andvisionary people, who can play animportant role in a sustainable tourismdevelopment in Bangladesh.

The biggest barrier to a positivedevelopment of the Bangladeshitourism sector, according to MajbrittThomsen, is the lack of a consistenttourism vision based on cooperation,knowledge and sustainability. Late2008 she launched the voluntary Views

On Tourism Project, with an objectiveto facilitate Bangladeshi access totourism knowledge and networking. Aonline knowledge base now consist ofnational, regional and internationaltourism knowledge, through more than200 articles, 70 resource links and anoverview of the national tourismplayers. A LinkedIn network groupfurthermore unites professionalpeople, who are interested or related tothe Bangladeshi tourism sector.

The long-term vision for the ViewsOn Tourism Project is to create anactive and innovating sustainabletourism movement. Activities,cooperation and services should aim atbuilding tourism sector capacity aswell as providing benefits not only forpeople who travel, but also for peoplein the communities they visit, and fortheir respective natural, social andcultural environments.

Majbritt ThomsenE-mail: [email protected]

Web-page: www.viewsontourism.info

leaving architectural landmarkssuch as the Eiffel Tower in Parisand the Space Needle in Seattle,and introducing the television andelectric lighting to a mass audience.In Shanghai, the spotlight will be onthe cutting-edge design of thenational pavilions at the 5.3-square-kilometre site.

Highlights include China’s redinverted pyramid, Britain’sstunning dandelion-like “SeedCathedral”, Spain’s “Big Basket”made of 8,500 wicker panels, andSwitzerland’s three-story-high“meadow” — complete withchairlift. China has bolsteredsecurity for Expo, deployingparamilitary police, randomlychecking foreigners’ identificationand searching car and railpassengers entering and leaving the

Shanghai hosts world’s biggest expositionFrom Page 22 city. Ships will also be searched.

Shanghai has spent 400 billionyuan (about 60 billion dollars) indirect and indirect investmentspreparing for the Expo, accordingto state media -- more than wasspent on the Beijing Olympics.Human rights groups haveprotested against the silencing ofdissidents ahead of the event, andthe apparent denial of accreditationto journalists from a Hong Kong-based newspaper known for itsstrong pro-democracy stance.

"The Shanghai Expo hasn't evenstarted yet, but already the Chinesegovernment appears willing to use ahigh-profile international event todemonstrate its lack of tolerance foruniversal rights and freedoms," saidSophie Richardson, Asia advocacydirector at Human Rights Watch.

- Courtesy AFP, Shanghai

volum e -iv m ay 2 0 10a jou rn al o f canada b an g lade sh c hambe r of c o mmerc e a nd industr y...

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