DHAKA: All Europe Bangladeshi Association (AEBA) is organizing the two days (November 19th and 20th) Bangladesh Global Summit 2016 (www.bangladeshglobalsummit.com) in Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia.
The essence of the convention is establishing a bridge among Bangladeshis living in the Diaspora. It will also tune and energize Non-Resident Bangladeshis (NRB) and Persons of Bangladeshi Origin (PBO) from six continents in making more investments in Bangladesh.
Bangladesh is on the threshold of major economic development. The consistent achievement of 6% plus GDP growth over the last decade has put Bangladesh strongly on its national vision of achieving mid-income country status by 2021 and developed economy by 2041.
NRBs and PBOs can work as positive catalysts in accelerating the multi-dimensional development initiatives of Bangladesh government with their combined skills, knowledge, technical, managerial and financial capabilities.
During its two-day Convention (November 19 & 20, 2016), Kuala Lumpur Summit will facilitate B2B business sessions with Bangladesh and Diaspora-based Bangladeshi businessmen and investors with Malaysian counterparts. To enlarge the horizon of business and investment opportunities, Kuala Lumpur Summit has already taken necessary steps ensuring wider participation of Chamber of Commerce and Investment Boards from both Bangladesh and Malaysia.
Relevant government and non-government organizations eager to promoting bilateral import and export, tourism and cultural products, will also join in the summit to avail opportunities. Multilateral chambers from many countries will also enrich the occasion.
AEBA Administrative Office, Paris, has taken pertinent steps to make this International Event organized by Bangladeshis at Diaspora, a major PR success.
In this regard, all embassies, high commissions and consulates under Bangladesh foreign ministry have cordially extended helping hands with utmost commitment of cooperation. Bangladesh high commission in Malaysia and Malaysian high commission in France are in collaboration with AEBA and providing all kinds of assistance.
Bangladesh Global Summit 2016 is the most highlighted convention gathering maximum participation of Bangladeshis from the Diaspora. To match the significance of the occasion, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Malaysia Prime Minister Dato' Sri Haji Mohammad Najib bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak have been invited to grace the convention as chief guests.
Among many other special guests Malaysia Deputy Prime Minister and also home minister Dato' Seri Dr. Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Bangladesh foreign minister Abul Hasan Mahmud Ali, expatriates’ welfare and overseas employment minister Nurul Islam B.Sc., and planning minister AHM Mustafa Kamal have been invited. The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) president Saber Hossain Chowdhury has been invited as well.
Ministers of top four important ministries of Malaysia government have also been invited through special invitation. They are foreign minister Dato' Sri Anifah Aman; human resources minister Richard Riot Jaem; tourism and culture minister Dato' Seri Mohamed Nazri bin Abdul Aziz and women, family, and community development minister Datuk Hajjah Rohani Abdul Karim. Immediately after the Grand Opening ceremonies on November 19, 2016, a series of panel discussions and seminars on relevant issues like
(1) Status of Bangladeshis in the Diaspora.
(2) Investment opportunities in Bangladesh particularly in the Technology and Innovations.
(3) Bangladesh-Malaysia bilateral investment opportunities etc. will continue taking place.
Participants in the discussions are the selected experts on the subjects & issues who have achieved recognition in the Diaspora.
On the second day of the Summit, on November 20, several workshops and seminars are on the Schedule. To end the most meaningful and memorable Bangladesh Global Summit, AEBA has arranged a gala Bangladesh Night to showcase the cultural sides of Bangladesh.
Prominent artistes and singers from Bangladesh will adore the stages. Artistes and singers from the Diaspora will also perform their best. AEBA is determined to impact on the participants of the Convention with rewarding and memorable experiences.
AEBA may identify some particular strategic sectors for investment and supplementing government efforts. The preferred sectors can be agriculture, education, health, energy, sports and tourism.
Expatriate Bangladeshis can assist Bangladesh in diversifying farming products, providing capacity development of farming community in solar irrigation, using of green fertilizers, telemarketing of agro products, developing secondary agro- products of export quality.
Bangladesh needs improved medical care. Now improved medicare of Bangladesh is mostly centered in major cities .There are plenty of scopes of modernizing community health clinics, setting up hospitals in remote areas with modern medicare facilities at affordable cots.
Another major area is water supply and sanitation facilities. Supplying pure drinking water is a major challenge. AEBA initiative can assist in developing facilities for supplying pure drinking water.
Bangladesh now has several private universities. Every year quality graduates are coming out. But most of them are being lost for lack of motivations for turning the educated youth as entrepreneur.
Proper mentoring and coaching of quality graduates can make them ready for jobs or entrepreneurs. If some vocational training institutes with modern facilities can be set up Bangladesh can produce more focused human resource for greater wage earning from competitive global market.
Government adopted program for expanding power supply and energy availability can get boost if NRBs and PBOs from a single platform can disseminate their knowledge and expertise in building the capacity of Bangladeshi technical and managerial persons.
Bangladesh needs diversifying fuel mix for power generation as it sown gas resource which fueled power generation and industrial development is fast depleting.
Government has taken up some mega projects for setting up infrastructure for coal and LNG import. Projects are also undertaken for setting up large power plants on coal adopting state of the art modern technology.
Bangladesh has to be careful in not expanding carbon foot print. Experienced NRBs and PBOs can provide technology support to Bangladeshi project management and interested entrepreneur can invest under Private Public Partnership.
Bangladesh needs to further develop its own primary fuel resources – gas and coal. It is potential for exploring and developing more petroleum resources in onshore frontier areas and extensive offshore area in the Bay of Bengal.
It has to exploit its discovered coal resource. Bangladesh can be extremely benefitted from exploiting solar, wind and renewable energy potential.
It can also be benefited from win–win contracts of energy trading with neighboring countries and importing primary fuel. AEBA can be of great help in sourcing creating platform of competent NRB and PBO experts for assisting Bangladesh in all these endeavors.
Bangladesh desperately needs to recover its rivers and waterways, regenerate navigability of rivers through capital dredging. All major cities of the world rely greatly on rivers.
But unfortunately most of the major rivers of Bangladesh are in dire state from encroachment and illegal occupation. We are aware that some leading Bangladeshi origin experts are working in different countries on river management. AEBA can create a platform for them. European cities can be great examples for replicating.
Another area of attention can be waste collection and disposal of major, energy generation of waste. AEBA can provide linkage of different city corporations of Bangladesh with the likes of Europe.
Bangladesh needs extensive capacity building in energy and power sector for planning, managing implementation of mega projects, operation and maintenance of facilities. AEBA can work as a platform for bringing NRB and PBO expertise for training and capacity building of Bangladeshi professionals.
Sports build the image of Bangladesh. In recent times success of Bangladesh Cricket team has brightened the image of the nation to world sporting community. Football, hockey, athletics and other games have fallen behind. NRB and PBO communities can assist in setting up football, cricket academy, sponsor coaches and trainers.
Bangladesh has many places of enchanting natural beauties. The longest sea beach of Cox’s Bazar, charming Kuakata beach, the great Sundarban mangrove forest, beautiful tea gardens, lakes, waterfalls in the greater Sylhet region, scenic beauty of Rangamati and Bandarban can easily make Bangladesh preferred destinations if proper infrastructures and recreation facilities are developed. AEBA can mobilize NRBs and PBOs for branding Bangladesh as tourism destination.
Nonresident Indians and nonresident Chinese are making commendable contributions in developing economy of their respective countries of origin.
We hope AEBA endeavors will also work for making effective contributions.
BDST: 1838 HRS, MAY 28, 2016
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