January 10, 2025
DHAKA – Bangladesh and Türkiye have discussed the possibility of cooperation in defence industry as Türkiye Trade Minister Prof Ömer Bolat called on Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus today.
“You are the leader of the technology; you can build your defence industry here. Let’s make a beginning… we are available for anything that you need,” Prof Yunus told Bolat at the state guest house Jamuna.
He urged Türkiye to bring their technology to Bangladesh, invest more, relocate factories, and use Bangladesh’s youth forces.
Mentioning Bangladesh as the 8th most populous country in the world, the chief adviser said that the interim government was working to create work opportunities for the country’s youths and sought Turkey’s help in this regard.
“Use our young people to run your factories here so that you can supply your products in the region,” he said.
The CA said Bangladesh and Türkiye have the potential to build a dream relationship through mutual cooperation in various fields.
“There are so many things to be done… We want your support, your technology, and your investments,” he said.
Prof Ömer Bolat said Bangladesh and Türkiye can diversify their cooperation beyond the textile industry.
He said that there can be economic cooperation in the fields of defence industry, health care, pharmaceuticals, and farm machinery.
“We can replace India and other markets in Bangladesh’s imports. There can be cooperation in economic and social fields at all levels,” he said.
He also said that Bangladesh and Turkish universities can have reciprocal cooperation.
Bangladesh’s exports to Turkey stood at around $581 million in 2023-24, while imports were around $424 million.
Now nearly 20 large Turkish companies are operating in Bangladesh in garments and textiles, accessories, chemicals, engineering, construction, and energy sectors.
During the meeting, the CA recalled his telephone conversation with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in August, following which an eight-member Turkish delegation visited Bangladesh in October.
Commerce Adviser Sheikh Bashir Uddin, Adviser Mahfuj Alam, Special Envoy Lutfey Siddiqi, SDG Affairs Secretary Lamiya Morshed, and BIDA Chairman Ashik Mahmud Chowdhory, among others, were present on the occasion.