Speakers at a Silicon Valley seminar highlighting Bangladesh's economic potential called on American and international investors, as well as Non-Resident Bangladeshis (NRBs), to invest in the country, reports UNB.
Startup Bangladesh Limited hosted the seminar titled “Bangladesh the Next Investment Frontier” for Foreign Investors and Expatriates in Silicon Valley, the base and beating heart of the entire technological revolution since the invention of the PC, home to every big tech firm that is today a household name around the world-from Microsoft to Google to Apple.
It is also the place for the exciting startup scene that is now much more mature than its present state in Bangladesh.
The seminar was held in collaboration with the ministry of commerce of Bangladesh and the consulate general of Bangladesh in Los Angeles.
The event partner was Bioskope Film LLC. It was organized for US based NRBs, potential investors and representatives from the business community in LA.
It was aimed at highlighting to the prospective investors and NRB community the tremendous growth of Bangladesh in various sectors and to explore investment opportunities in Bangladesh. The event partner was Bioskope Film LLC.
Commerce minister Tipu Munshi graced the seminar as the chief guest.
Tareque Muhammad, consul general of Bangladesh in Los Angeles, Md Hafizur Rahman, additional secretary (export), ministry of commerce, Abdur Rahim Khan, joint secretary, ministry of commerce, Shomi Kaiser, president of e-Commerce Association of Bangladesh (e-CAB), SM Khurshid-Ul-Alam, commercial counsellor at consulate general of Bangladesh in Los Angeles, Seheli Sabrin, director general of MoFA were present on the occasion.
The programme was participated by numerous globally prominent business leaders in the US technology sector, start-up founders, venture fund founders, distinguished professionals from globally prominent companies in Silicon Valley of NRB community.
The participants also included academics from the University of California, Berkeley.
Hasan Arif, chief investment officer of Startup Bangladesh, conducted the event extending greeting to all guests and attendees for attending the event.
Tina Jabeen, managing director and CEO of Startup Bangladesh Limited, facilitated an experience sharing session among the special guests, academics and NRBs.
Commerce minister Tipu Munshi called on the NRBs to get involved in Bangladesh anyway they can and to give back to the country.
The people of Bangladesh will benefit from the experience and engagement by the vast NRB talents, he added.
Tipu Munshi was very encouraged by the initiatives taken by Tina Jabeen to connect US investors, academics, and tech-professionals to the startup ecosystem in Bangladesh.
Tina Jabeen discussed the current state of foreign direct investment and strategies to encourage US investment partnerships with Bangladeshi startups.
Opportunities and potential collaborations with US-based NRBs and local venture capital firms in developing and guiding efforts to support promising startups have been explored.
Alfredo Coppola of US Market Center, the longest running accelerator in Silicon Valley and manager of the BIG (Bangabandhu Innovation Grant) International competition, in his remark, said that Jabeen practically connected Silicon Valley to the startup ecosystem in Bangladesh.
He showed great interest in facilitating FDIs to startups in Bangladesh.
Md Hafizur Rahman, additional secretary (export), ministry of commerce and SM Khurshid- Ul-Alam, commercial counsellor a Consulate General of Bangladesh in Los Angeles also spoke at the event.