The International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation, TFO Canada and Business Promotion Council of Bangladesh Open Doors for SME Exporters in Bangladesh for International Markets
Dhaka, Bangladesh (November 28, 2020). Today, twenty-nine (29) Bangladeshi trade professionals will be awarded certificates, signaling the culmination of phase I of the “Export Launchpad Bangladesh”, an international trade capacity building and market access support program in Bangladesh. This took place during the Export Launchpad Bangladesh Certificate Award Ceremony which marks a successful occasion for the collaboration between the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC), the Trade Facilitation Office Canada (TFO Canada) and the Business Promotion Council (BPC) of Bangladesh. His Excellency Mr. Tipu Munshi, Honorable Minster, Ministry of Commerce, People’s Republic of Bangladesh graced the occasion as the Chief Guest and thanked all the relevant local & international stakeholders for organizing such an impactful program.
Export Launchpad Bangladesh is a technical assistance project consisting of a train-the-trainers activity and aims to consolidate the knowledge of theoretical and practical aspects of international trade. Twenty-nine (29) technical trade professionals from BPC and eight other key partner organizations[1] – Trade Support Institutions (TSIs)/Trade Promotion Organizations (TPOs)/Business Promotion Organizations (BPOs) – in Bangladesh are now equipped and ready to train Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) interested in exporting their goods and services.
“This project strengthens our progress in enhancing international trade capacities of our member countries which has become more important than ever specially in view of COVID-19. With the advent of the pandemic, delivery of the program was successfully modified to be a virtual-based training, investing in exporter training and international market access of the Bangladeshi SMEs.” commented Eng. Hani Salem Sonbol, CEO ITFC.
“We are grateful to our delivery partners and for the leadership of the ITFC in supporting its member countries to seek international markets. Through this program, TFO Canada brought internationally experienced sector and subject matter experts, to design and deliver unique export-readiness training. Given the challenges we faced with COVID-19, our collaboration with 9 TSIs of Export Launchpad Bangladesh project was even more impressive and will result in Bangladeshi SMEs increasing and diversifying their exports to the world, thereby contributing to inclusive and sustainable economic growth of the country” commented Steve Tipman, Executive Director of TFO Canada
“Through the Export Launchpad Bangladesh project, we brought the public and private sector stakeholders together, during COVID 19 pandemic, for the continued benefit of the SMEs in Bangladesh” commented A.H.M Shafiquzzaman, BPC Coordinator & Additional Secretary MoC.
In phase II, there will be Gender Equality and Social Inclusion workshops for TSIs, market research and market access training and technical assistance for Bangladeshi SME exporters to improve their access to targeted international markets.
The ultimate outcome is for the Export Launchpad program to contribute to sustainable economic development aimed at reducing poverty in Bangladesh through enhancing capacities to capitalize on opportunities in global trade.
About the partners
About the International Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC)
The International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC) is a member of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group. It was established with the primary objective of advancing trade among OIC member countries, which would ultimately contribute to the overarching goal of improving socioeconomic conditions of the people across the world. Commencing operations in January 2008, ITFC has provided US$53.9 billion of financing to OIC member countries, making it the leading provider of trade solutions for these member countries’ needs. With a mission to become a catalyst for trade development for OIC member countries and beyond, the Corporation helps entities in member countries gain better access to trade finance and provides them with the necessary trade-related capacity building tools, which would enable them to successfully compete in the global market.
Twitter: @ITFCCORP
Facebook: @ITFCCORP
LinkedIn: International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC)
Tel: +966 12 646 8337
Fax: +966 12 637 1064
E-mail: ITFC@itfc-idb.org
Trade Facilitation Office (TFO) Canada confronts the challenge of global poverty by promoting sustainable economic development through export information, advice and contact. TFO Canada facilitates access to the Canadian marketplace and shares Canadian trade expertise for the benefit of smaller exporters in developing countries. Founded in 1980, TFO Canada is a non-governmental, non-profit organisation. For more information, please visit www.tfocanada.ca.
Business Promotion Council (BPC) is the apex organisation that coordinates the activities of a number of product-specific sector promotion councils in Bangladesh. These councils are formed with a mandate for export diversification. BPC is spearheaded by Ministry of Commerce on a public-private partnership basis. For more information, please visit http://bpc.org.bd/
Quotes from SMEs
“I want to thank everyone involved in organizing the training that gave us valuable insights and ideas on how to grow our businesses internationally. I personally gained a lot by being a part of this event and can use the lessons covered here for my business”.
Comment by Esrat Jahan Chowdhury, CEO, Tulika (Woman owned SME)
“I am thankful to be a part of the training. The training sessions conducted were very organized and well structured. Being the owner of an SME myself, this training taught valuable lessons on the banking details of exporting products as well as proper packaging and labelling methods. These sessions are valuable for the growth of my business. I look forward to being invited to more export-based training sessions from TFO Canada. ITFC & BPC.
Comment by Rasheda Khan, CEO, Frozen Fish (Woman owned SME)
SME Foundation, Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI), Export Promotion Bureau (EPB), Bangladesh Foreign Trade Institute (BFTI), Women Entrepreneurs Association of Bangladesh (WEAB), Women Entrepreneurs Network Development Association (WEND), BRAC Bank, The City Bank