Capacity building on trade, business essential to attain Vision 2041: Kaikaus

Capacity building on trade and business is essential to attain Vision 2041, said Dr Ahmad Kaikaus, principal secretary to the Prime Minister.

He was speaking at the inauguration ceremony of a five-day training on "Rules and Procedures for Import and Export" organised by the Bangladesh Foreign Trade Institute (BFTI) on Sunday in the capital.

Dr Kaikaus, the chief guest of the event, said, Bangladesh is standing on the threshold of formal graduation from the Least Developed Countries (LDC) status to a developing country, read a press release.

"As trade is considered to be the engine of growth, capacity development of the public and private sector officials on trade-related issues is crucial to have an uninterrupted positive trend of economic growth in Bangladesh and to tackle the LDC graduation related challenges," he added.

BFTI Chief Executive Officer Dr Md Jafar Uddin chaired the inaugural ceremony of the training programme that is designed to provide a comprehensive understanding of sector-specific import and export documentation, banking formalities, customs regulations, among other topics.

Dr Uddin said Bangladesh Foreign Trade Institute (BFTI) has been working with dedication and commitment to developing trade-related capacity since its inception. He hoped that BFTI will expand its coverage of activities in the future to develop a knowledge-based society.

The training is being attended by some 35 officials from the ministries, its attached department and offices, business associations and chambers, financial institutions, importers and exporters, C&F agents, and foreign missions based in Bangladesh.

During Sunday's inauguration ceremony, Bablu Kumar Saha, Director General, Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection, Md Alamgir, Chairman, Bangladesh Land Port Authority, Sheikh Shoebul Alam, Register, Office of the Joint Stock Companies, Khaled Mamun Chowdhury, Vice-Chairman (in-charge), Export Promotion Bureau and Brigadier General Md Ariful Hassan, Chairman, Trading Corporation of Bangladesh were present, among others.