A high-level delegation of the US-Bangladesh Business Council (USBBC) met with Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed on Tuesday.

The meeting was held at the conference room of the Home Ministry at Bangladesh Secretariat in the afternoon. Discussions focused on various issues of mutual interest, including bilateral trade and investment between Bangladesh and the United States, as well as energy and security cooperation.

The information was disclosed in a press release signed by Faisal Hasan, public relations officer (Deputy Chief Information Officer/Director) of the Home Ministry.

During the meeting, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed reiterated the government’s strong commitment to creating an investment-friendly environment in Bangladesh and ensuring overall security for foreign investors.

He said Bangladesh currently offers significant opportunities for foreign direct investment and that the government has created a favourable environment, including tax and customs facilities, for investors.

Welcoming increased US investment in Bangladesh, the minister said the government has developed the necessary legal and administrative framework to launch a one-stop service called ‘Invest Bangladesh’ to bring the investment process under one umbrella and make it easier for investors.

He said administrative and legal facilities related to the initiative have been streamlined over the past five to six months.

The government is also reviewing several proposals to establish LNG terminals at strategically important locations across the country, he said. Such initiatives would help diversify the energy sector and strengthen overall national security, the minister added.

Salahuddin Ahmed said significant opportunities are being created for investment in food grain and energy supplies, ranging from government-to-government (G2G) arrangements to private-sector investment.

He said the government has also taken initiatives in digital security, a ‘Safe City’ project under smart policing, ‘Integrated Border Management’ for border security and the introduction of e-visas to strengthen national security and technological protection.

At the meeting, the president of the US-Bangladesh Business Council said leading US companies have been successfully operating in Bangladesh for several decades and are currently among the country’s major investors.

Highlighting Bangladesh’s economic potential, he said Bangladesh’s economy is expected to reach $1 trillion by 2034.

He stressed that developing technical and managerial capacity, along with increasing GDP growth and tax productivity, will be crucial to achieving the target.

The meeting also discussed how US companies could support and partner with the Bangladesh government in the country’s development process.

A 16-member delegation of business leaders, led by Atul Keshap, President of the US-Bangladesh Business Council and Senior Vice President for South Asia at the US Chamber of Commerce, attended the meeting.

Senior officials from the Home Ministry were also present.