Mussen (front ninth left) and the state delegation are seen with DCCI members.
DHAKA, Bangladesh: Bangladesh is ready to cooperate with Sarawak in the field of research and development in agriculture.
Bangladesh Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdury said this during a meeting with Assistant Minister of Agriculture Malcolm Mussen Lamoh on Tuesday.
Mussen and several members of a trade mission delegation from Sarawak paid a courtesy call on Matia to discuss potential areas of cooperation.
Matia said both Bangladesh and Sarawak should work on exchange of knowledge to improve their respective agriculture sectors.
“We welcome researchers from Sarawak to learn from Bangladesh and vice versa,” she said.
Among those present at the meeting were state delegation head Dr Christopher Ngui and Kuching Chinese General Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCGCCI) vice-president Tan Jit Kee.
Agriculture remains a major sector in Bangladesh, which is known for its fertile land.
Rice can be grown and harvested three times a year in many areas in Bangladesh, and the country is self-sufficient in rice production, meeting the demand of its 160 million population.
Mussen, who is the delegation’s honorary leader, also took the opportunity to promote Sarawak’s white and black pepper.
Meanwhile, the 34-member trade mission delegation also attended meetings with the Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) and Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI).
DCCI president Abul Kasem Khan, in welcoming the delegation, said the visit showed their confidence in Bangladesh’s economy.
He hoped to see bilateral cooperation in halal technology to tap into the halal market.
The Sarawak delegation on the other hand extended an invitation to DCCI to participate in the World Islamic Economic Forum in Kuching in November.
The meeting with FBCCI was presided by its first vice-president Md Shafiul Islam, who also extended an invitation to the Sarawak delegation to work together with their Bangladeshi counterparts.
The Sarawak delegation indicated potential fields of cooperation and also expressed confidence that Bangladesh’s economy would continue to grow.
KCGCCI also hosted a dinner for their counterparts.
The trade mission trip organised by KCGCCI is scheduled to end today (April 13).
Also in the delegation are members from the Dayak Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Sarawak Housing and Real Estate Developers’ Association Kuching.