Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has invited Indian businesses to invest in the country’s special economic zones, highlighting the huge potential for bilateral economic cooperation.

Addressing Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) members on Friday evening, Hasina said both India and Bangladesh should work together to do business.

“All over India, there is a huge market so both the countries can work jointly and share our experiences. There is a good opportunity to do business,” Hasina said, stressing that doing business is a key part of the bilateral relationship. She added that high importance is being given to working with India to fulfil the needs of the people.

The prime minister mentioned that she wanted to make the economy of Bangladesh stronger and more sustainable. She also stated that Bangladesh will work on bigger ports, waterways, rail and road connectivity.

Sanjiv Puri, President, CII said Bangladesh is India’s land bridge to the vibrant regions of Southeast Asia, and Bangladesh and India can address the market together at a time when supply chains are shifting. He also mentioned that in agriculture, the two nations can set up joint ventures between private sectors.

 Chandrajit Banerjee, Director General, CII, said that to drive economic engagement, CII plans to take a CEOs delegation to Bangladesh later this year.

During the industry interaction, business members from India and Bangladesh highlighted several sectors of joint collaborations, including increasing the supply of energy to Bangladesh with a special emphasis on hydropower and creating more energy transmission lines to Bangladesh.

They also spoke about education and skill development in Bangladesh through telecommunications solutions. Other areas of collaboration such as agriculture, trade, and IT were also discussed.