Parliament Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad has emphasised the need to expand trade and investment ties between Bangladesh and the United States to unlock greater economic opportunities for both countries.
He made the remarks while attending the inauguration of the three-day US Trade Show 2026 at the InterContinental Dhaka yesterday. The event was jointly organised by the American Chamber of Commerce in Bangladesh (AmCham) and the US Embassy in Dhaka.
The Speaker said platforms such as the US Trade Show create opportunities to strengthen bilateral partnerships. He added that Bangladesh remains committed to building a competitive and investment-friendly economy.
Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Abdul Awal Mintoo said greater collaboration with international partners would be essential as Bangladesh moves towards a more competitive and sustainable economy.
US Ambassador to Bangladesh Brent T Christensen said the United States values its strong commercial relationship with Bangladesh, adding that the trade show reflects growing business opportunities in both countries.
He said American companies offer world-class products, services and technologies that could contribute to Bangladesh’s economic development.
Meanwhile, Zubaida Rahman, vice-president of the Ziaur Rahman Foundation, highlighted the importance of women’s empowerment at a seminar titled “From Aspiration to Achievement: Empowering the Next Generation of Women Leaders”, held on the sidelines of the exhibition.
She said education, economic independence, healthcare and leadership opportunities for women were essential for Bangladesh’s sustainable development.
Zubaida Rahman also stressed the need to remove barriers preventing women from reaching their full potential. Every woman should have the opportunity to turn her aspirations into achievements, she said.
AmCham President Syed Mohammad Kamal said the US Trade Show had served as an important platform for connecting American businesses with the Bangladeshi market for three decades.
A large number of US companies are participating in the exhibition, either directly or through local representatives.
The participating companies include Caterpillar, Chevron, Excelerate Energy, ExxonMobil, APR Energy, Veon, Citigroup, MetLife, Mastercard, Visa, JCB, Colgate-Palmolive, Philip Morris International, PepsiCo, Costco, PPG, Avery Dennison, DuPont, Bell Textron, UPS, Cargill and others.
Organisations from the education, development and investment sectors are also taking part, including CARE USA, Washington University of Science and Technology, Marshall University, VisionSpring, SOSV, Goodwater Capital and Learn Capital.
