As the corona pandemic hit expected growth in trade and investment in the last two years, Jakarta sees the bilateral trade between Bangladesh and Indonesia will cross over 2.00 billion mark this year.
Indonesian Ambassador in Dhaka Heru Hartanto Subolo said this while talking to the press in the city on Thursday afternoon.
Heru Hartanto Subolo visited Jamia Ashrafia Madrasa and Orphanage at Baridhara and Kalachadpur Dakhil Madrasa and Orphanage at North Baridhara, and distributed Eid gifts among the orphans of the religious institutions.
He expressed his views that rich persons of the society should share some portion of their wealth with the poor as per guidelines and instructions of the religion.
As economies of both Indonesia and Bangladesh have successfully overcome the impact of the corona pandemic and got on the right track, Subolo said the bilateral trade is expected to cross $ 3.00 billion mark within years.
In FY 2020-21, the import-export between Indonesia and Bangladesh stood at US$ 1.9 billion, which has a huge potential for further growth.
He said Indonesia has a large market for Bangladeshi medicines, agricultural products, poultry, jute and leather goods and footwear.
Laying emphasis on signing free trade agreement (FTA) with Bangladesh, Subolo said that Dhaka and Jakarta would work towards signing FTA in the shortest possible time.
He said that negotiations are also underway on a preferential trade agreement (PTA) with Bangladesh.
The envoy has expressed the views that business communities of the both countries would harness the potential of bilateral trade
Subolo said that Indonesian entrepreneurs are interested in investing in Bangladesh through joint ventures in the pharmaceutical and SME sectors.
He said a delegation led by the country’s industry minister or commerce minister will visit Bangladesh this year to explore bilateral trade and investment prospects.
Terming Bangladesh as a rising economic power in the region, the Indonesian diplomat said some 5,000 Bangladeshis is likely to visit Indonesia to explore the natural beauty of the island country.
Before corona pandemic, some 1000 Bangladeshis used to visit the southeast Asian country Citing the example of Bangladesh, Heru Hartanto Subolo said people irrespective of religion, caste, creed and race live in harmony in this country.
Bangladesh is now one of the brightest examples of religious harmony and peace, he said.
To a question of the expanded role of OIC Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC), Subolo has expressed the views that member-countries would work together in the greater interest and upliftment of the Muslim Ummah.
Bangladesh is always maintaining strong partnership with the OIC for further peace, prosperity and development in the Muslim world, he said
In 1971, Bangladesh became an independent nation under the visionary guidelines of the great leader Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman," he said.