Chief adviser urges Turkey to relocate industries to Bangladesh 

Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus urged Turkey to bring their technology to Bangladesh and invest more, relocate factories as well as utilise the country's youth forces.

He made the call when a delegation led by Türkiye Trade Minister Dr Ömer Bolat called on him on Thursday at the state guest house Jamuna, said a media release from the chief adviser's office.

Mentioning Bangladesh as the eighth most populous country in the world, the chief adviser said that the government was working to create work opportunities for the country's youths and sought Turkey's  help in this regard.

"We have to give our young people an opportunity, so we want your help; this is my appeal to your country," he said.

"Use our young people to run your factories here so that you can supply your products in the region," he said.

The chief adviser said Bangladesh and Turkey have the potential to build a dream relationship through mutual cooperation in various fields.

"The relationship between Bangladesh and Turkey is very warm; we want to build it in all sectors," he said.

"There are so many things to be done, some we want your support, your technology, and your investments."

"You are the leader of the technology; you can build your defence industry here. Let's begin… we are available for anything that you need," he said.

Turkey Trade Minister Dr Ömer Bolat said Bangladesh and Turkey can diversify their cooperation beyond the textile industry, which was their primary import from Bangladesh.

He said there can be economic cooperation in the field 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 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.

Among the Turkish companies operating in Bangladesh, notable ones include the Turkish LPG company AYGAZ, Coca-Cola Içecek, and the refrigerator and AC manufacturer ARCILIK (which has acquired Singer Bangladesh Ltd.).

During the meeting, the chief adviser 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 Mahfuz Alam, Special Envoy Lutfey Siddiqi, SDG Affairs Secretary Lamiya Morshed, and BIDA Chairman Ashik Mahmud Chowdhory were present on the occasion, among others.