Commerce minister Faruk Khan on Sunday said Bangladesh could earn huge foreign exchange by exporting catering goods to the United Kingdom every year.
He also said the non-resident Bangladeshis and investors in the UK could invest in Bangladesh taking advantage of the investment opportunities available in the country.
The minister was speaking at the launching of Bangladesh Catering Expo-2011 at Ruposhi Bangla Hotel in Dhaka.
Director of Trade and Investment of British High Commission Kevin Ringham, Export Promotion Bureau vice-chairman Jalal Ahmed and Bangladesh Catering Expo chairman MK Jaman spoke at the launching ceremony.
The three-day Bangladesh catering expo, first of its kind, will begin on October 3 in London. An array of products, especially catering and furniture, will be put on display at the expo.
Faruk said there was a great potential of Bangladeshi products such as papadum (locally called papor), spices and furniture in the UK. 'Our businessmen should go for exploring the untapped potential market in the UK catering industry'.
The two-way trade is on the rise as both Bangladesh and UK has traded worth over two billion US dollars during the last 11 months.
Referring to Bangladesh's export growth of 41.61 per cent in the first 11 months of the current fiscal year, he said Bangladesh was among few countries that achieved positive growth braving the global financial recession.
Faruk said European Union's new GSP facility that came into effective from January had led to the growth.
Referring to the catering industry mostly owned by Bangladeshi entrepreneurs, Ringham said Bangladesh was contributing to the annual growth of UK's economy.
He said Bangladesh exported goods worth just over 1.130 billion pound to the UK in 2010 while the UK exported goods worth 114 million pound during the same period.
Source : New Age
