The Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) has sought greater Malaysian investment in renewable energy, digital finance and other emerging sectors as businesses from the two countries look to expand economic cooperation.
DCCI President Taskeen Ahmed made the call during a meeting with Malaysia’s Deputy Finance Minister Liew Chin Tong in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday.
Bangladesh and Malaysia recorded around $2.57 billion in bilateral trade in fiscal year 2024-25, Taskeen said, calling for closer cooperation between the two countries to identify new areas of trade and investment.
He said stronger business relations based on trust, technology exchange and shared experience could create fresh opportunities for companies from both countries.
Highlighting Bangladesh’s growing energy demand, the DCCI president said Malaysian entrepreneurs could explore long-term investment opportunities in renewable energy, including solar power generation.
Technology transfer, skills development and joint investment could help make such partnerships more sustainable, he added.
Taskeen also pointed to Bangladesh’s mobile financial services (MFS) sector as a successful digital model that is being adopted in several countries, including those in the Middle East. The experience could offer lessons for Malaysia as it expands its own digital financial ecosystem.
With Bangladesh importing around $70 billion worth of goods annually, he described the country as a large consumer market and urged Malaysian businesses to increase exports and commercial engagement.
He called for greater product diversification and stronger investment links between the two countries to deepen bilateral economic ties.
Liew Chin Tong highlighted Malaysia’s growing demand for skilled workers in the information and communications technology (ICT) sector, saying Bangladesh’s young workforce could benefit from targeted technical and professional training.
Such skills development could create new employment opportunities for Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia, he added.
The Malaysian deputy finance minister also stressed the need to modernise international transaction systems to attract foreign investment and expand trade.
Malaysia’s experience in Islamic finance, innovative financial products and financial infrastructure development could provide useful examples for Bangladesh, he said.
The meeting was attended by DCCI Senior Vice-President Razeev H Chowdhury and Vice-President Salem Sulaiman.
