Titumir calls for closer cooperation, investment and technology transfer to help Dhaka emerge as a regional manufacturing hub
DHAKA, November 3: Pakistan has proposed closer industrial cooperation with Bangladesh to support its ambition of becoming a global manufacturing hub and export gateway, opening the door to a broader regional partnership in manufacturing, investment and technology transfer.
Pakistan's Adviser on Finance and Planning to the Prime Minister Professor Dr Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir said stronger cooperation between the two countries could help Bangladesh strengthen its manufacturing capabilities, attract productive investment and expand its position in international markets.
He made the proposal at the opening session of the 29th Sustainable Development Conference, organised by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) in Islamabad on Monday night.
Titumir said Bangladesh was pursuing an integrated regional manufacturing network linking South Asia, Southeast Asia, the Middle East and North Africa, and closer cooperation with Pakistan could help advance that ambition.
He said a stronger Bangladesh-Pakistan partnership could set a new benchmark for regional development by promoting investment, facilitating technology transfer, strengthening local industries and generating employment.
Titumir noted that Bangladesh was working towards establishing a robust manufacturing network among South Asian countries. Greater regional integration, he said, could help overcome prolonged disruptions to global production systems and restore manufacturing activities.
He also stressed that developing economies needed investment that builds domestic industrial capacity rather than simply expanding production through external resources.
On domestic development priorities, Titumir said the government planned to increase public expenditure on education from around 2 per cent of GDP to 5 per cent by 2030.
He highlighted social protection initiatives, including Family Cards and Farmer Cards, aimed at ensuring inclusive and people-centred development amid the global economic slowdown.
These programmes, he said, were expected to help address persistent economic challenges, poverty inherited from previous administrations and additional pressures arising from international conflicts and energy crises.
Pakistan's Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Professor Ahsan Iqbal presented the keynote paper at the conference.
The four-day event is expected to bring together more than 300 development experts and prominent political and social figures from different countries. Around 50 panel and plenary sessions are scheduled, with participants from South Asia, Southeast Asia, China and other regions. More than 100 women are also among the participants.
Titumir meets key Pakistani ministers
Following the conference, Titumir visited the newly constructed Bangladesh Chancery Complex in Islamabad, where he exchanged greetings with officials and staff members of the Bangladesh High Commission and planted a Jamun sapling on the premises.
He also held separate meetings with Pakistan's Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Energy Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik and Haroon Akhtar Khan, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Industries and Production.
The discussions focused on exchanging experiences and strengthening bilateral cooperation to address common challenges across different sectors.
The proposed partnership could give Bangladesh additional opportunities to attract investment, access technology, strengthen domestic industries and expand its reach into regional and international markets.
