Published: 11:20 AM, 28 September 2026
DCCI seeks Malaysia’s support to expand BD exports across ASEAN
Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) has sought Malaysia’s support in facilitating greater access for Bangladeshi products and services to the wider ASEAN market, while urging Malaysian entrepreneurs to invest in Bangladesh and leverage its large domestic market and strategic position as a potential gateway to South Asia.
DCCI President Taskeen Ahmed made the call during separate bilateral trade and investment discussions with the National Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia (NCCIM) and the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturing (FMM) in Kuala Lumpur on September 25 and 26.
The discussions focused on expanding bilateral trade and investment, strengthening private-sector partnerships and identifying new areas of economic cooperation between Bangladesh and Malaysia, according to a press release issued in Dhaka.
Speaking at the “Malaysia-Bangladesh Business Forum: Bridging Business and Building B2B Partnership”, organised by NCCIM, Taskeen Ahmed sought Malaysia’s cooperation in expanding exports of Bangladeshi readymade garments, pharmaceuticals, electronics, IT-enabled services, jute and jute products, and processed food products to ASEAN countries.
He said stronger commercial engagement between the two countries could help Bangladeshi businesses gain wider access to regional markets while creating new opportunities for Malaysian companies in Bangladesh.
The DCCI president also called on Malaysian entrepreneurs to invest in Bangladesh, highlighting the country’s large and growing domestic consumer market as well as its potential to serve as a production and export base for accessing other South Asian markets.
The call comes as businesses on both sides look to diversify trade and investment beyond traditional areas and explore emerging sectors with greater value-addition and technological content.
NCCIM President Norsyahrin bin Hamidon said Bangladesh is an important trading partner for Malaysia in South Asia and stressed the importance of continued business-to-business engagement to expand bilateral trade and investment.
He noted that Malaysia currently exports mainly petroleum products to Bangladesh, while there remains considerable scope for increasing the presence of Malaysian-made goods in Bangladesh, particularly in view of the country’s expanding middle-class consumer market.
The observation underscored the scope for diversifying bilateral trade and encouraging Malaysian companies to explore Bangladesh’s growing demand for consumer goods, industrial products, technology and services.
DCCI Senior Vice President Razeev H Chowdhury presented a keynote paper at the forum, outlining Bangladesh’s trade and investment potential and highlighting opportunities for Malaysian businesses.
At the “Strategic Forum on Malaysia-Bangladesh Business & Trade Opportunities”, organised by FMM on September 25, FMM President Jacob Lee Chor Kok said stronger private-sector engagement could take economic relations between the two countries to a new level.
He said increased interaction among businesses from Bangladesh and Malaysia could strengthen bilateral trade and investment ties while opening up new areas of cooperation.
Lee also acknowledged the contribution of Bangladeshi workers to Malaysia’s economic development, describing them as a source of skilled, hardworking and quality manpower for various sectors of the Malaysian economy.
He further noted that Bangladeshi workers returning home after acquiring skills, experience and specialised knowledge in Malaysia could play an important role in Bangladesh’s economic development and industrialisation.
The discussions also highlighted the potential for human-resource development and knowledge transfer to complement conventional trade and investment cooperation.
Bangladesh High Commissioner to Malaysia Manjurul Karim Khan Chowdhury, Senior Director of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation and Regional Groupings Division of Malaysia’s Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) Dr Rashidi Said, and Director of the Central, West, South Asia and Africa Section of the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) Naim Abdul Rahman, among others, addressed the event.
Meanwhile, DCCI and FMM signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at further strengthening cooperation in bilateral trade and investment.
DCCI President Taskeen Ahmed and FMM President Jacob Lee Chor Kok signed the agreement on behalf of their respective organisations.
The MoU is expected to provide a framework for deeper institutional cooperation between the two business bodies, including greater business connectivity, information exchange and opportunities for joint commercial engagement.
The visit also featured extensive business-to-business networking. Entrepreneurs from Bangladesh and Malaysia took part in around 70 B2B matchmaking sessions, where they exchanged information on business and investment opportunities and explored potential areas of cooperation.
The extensive B2B engagement demonstrated growing interest among private-sector stakeholders in identifying practical opportunities beyond government-to-government relations.
