The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Dhaka

Bangladeshi expatriates in Britain have established three airlines namely the Air Sylhet, the United Airlines and the Royal Bengal Airlines.

The Air Sylhet is basically an UK-based company and will operate from the UK to various European destinations and Bangladesh. The United Airlines has already started operation and the Royal Bengal will go into operation soon.

Chairman of the visiting Bangladesh-British Chamber of Commerce (BBCC) Dr Wali Tasar Uddin said this on Thursday while exchanging views with leaders of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) at its Motijheel office in the city.

FBCCI president Mir Nasir Hossain presided over the meeting. Two vice-presidents and directors of the Federation were also present. The 17-member BBCC delegation is visiting Bangladesh and meeting various chamber bodies and trade associations, exchanging views and exploring ways and means on how to engage in meaningful business collaboration from both sides.

The Bangladesh expatriates seek to forge closer business ties and invest in their homeland for contributing to the country's efforts to achieve accelerated development.

The BBCC was formed in 1991 and since then, its business delegations take up almost annual visit to Bangladesh. Most members of the BBCC have their ancestral homes in the greater Sylhet region and their visits also create scope to see relatives and friends. Dr Tasar Uddin said as part of facilitating business, the BBCC has already brought an English firm for apparel sourcing. It has already set up an office in Dhaka to bring British buyers for Bangladesh garments for marketing in the UK and other European destinations.

The BBCC leader said the Bangladesh community in the UK is demanding formation of a special economic zone at Sylhet and thanked the caretaker government for initiating the move to implement it.

He said the British Bangladeshi community is contributing to development of Britain. They are running 12,000 restaurants, grocery stores, departmental stores, real estate business, and garments and other small and moderate businesses. Side by side, they want to contribute to their homeland development, he said.

Dr Tasar Uddin said the BBCC has set up the Sylhet Foundation to promote various facilities, including business and investment.

Earlier, the FBCCI president praised the role of the BBCC in promoting bilateral ties and said Bangladesh and Britain are very active trade partners having 1.45 billion US dollars business turn over in the last year. Out of it, Bangladesh's export was 1.17 billion dollars.

He said about 50 British companies are currently investing in Bangladesh and he hoped more investment would flow from the British sources.