Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN) - The three-day third D-8 (developing-eight) Ministerial Meeting on Industries begins in the capital on Monday with a special focus on boosting inter-trade within the member countries.
"The D-6 meet will create a unique opportunity for Bangladesh to boost its trade share in the international front," Industries Minister Dilip Barua told a pres conference at Ruposhi Bangla Hotel in Dhaka on Saturday.
Mr. Barua said the D-8 meeting will have a role in boosting trade volume in the D-8 member states and Bangladesh's trade share will also see an expansion through promotion of its diverse products.
"The ministerial meeting and series of bilateral discussions would strengthen inter-connectivity and increase market access for D-8 member countries to the global market," he said.
The minister said the D-8 members currently do trade worth around US$ 450 billion with different countries of the world."
The event, first of its kind in Bangladesh, will focus on trade and investment, and seek to provide an opportunity for the member states to exchange their experiences, facilitate trade among them and promote trade in prospective areas.
The Industries Ministry is hosting the event at Ruposhi Bangla Hotel aiming to create a stronger platform for giving a boost to trade and investment within the member countries.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to inaugurate the conference on October 10 while Industries Minister Dilip Barua will inaugurate the D8 Working Group meeting on October 8.
The largest delegation with 43 members is coming from Iran while the second largest team is coming from Turkey with 33 members.
State Minister for Industries Omar Faruk Chowdhury, Industries Secretary M Moinuddin Abdullah, Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) President AK Azad, Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI), Dhaka President Maj Gen (retd) Amjad Khan Chowdhury and Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) Asif Ibrahim will address the opening session.
Many bilateral meetings among the ministers from D-8 member countries would be held in the three-day conference.
On the sidelines of the main event, 12 meetings on different sectors, including readymade garments, automotive and cement, ICT, energy and environmental conservation, food industries and technology cooperation will also be held.
The Developing-8, comprising Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan and Turkey, seeks development cooperation among the member states.
The second D-8 industries ministers' meeting was held in Istanbul, Turkey from October 4-6 last year while the first one was held in Iran.
BBN/SSR/AD-07Oct12-9:10 am (BST)
