The Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS) organized the ‘BASIS America Desk Stakeholders Meet’ with the aim of fostering the growth and development of technological business between Bangladesh and the United States.
The event, held at the BASIS Auditorium, was attended by notable figures such as James Gardiner, Acting Chief of the Economic Unit at the U.S. Embassy in Dhaka; John Fay, Commercial Counselor at the U.S. Embassy; BASIS President Russell T. Ahmed; BASIS Senior Vice President M. Rashidul Hasan; Vice President (Finance) Iqbal Ahmed Fakhrul Hasan; BASIS Directors Mir Sharookh Islam and Biplob Ghosh Rahul; Chairman of BASIS America Desk Nur Mahmud Khan, along with more than 70 members of the BASIS America Desk. The workshop was conducted by BASIS Vice President (Administration) Syed Mohammad Kamal.
At the event, James Gardiner, Acting Chief of the Economic Unit at the U.S. Embassy in Dhaka, highlighted key goals for “Bangladesh 2.0,” which seeks to achieve deeper integration into the global economy. He emphasized the importance of strengthening cybersecurity infrastructure, ensuring sound policies, and creating a business-friendly environment to attract international investment. Gardiner also stressed the need for increased government participation and called on Bangladesh to lead by example, particularly by taking strong measures against the use of pirated software. He underscored the importance of building a positive image for Bangladesh through ethical business practices in line with international standards.
John Fay, Commercial Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Dhaka, reaffirmed the Embassy’s commitment to strengthening commercial ties. He assured participants that the Embassy would facilitate connections in various ways, including expediting the visa process for IT/ITES industry representatives, providing B2B matchmaking support, and supporting Bangladesh’s participation in upcoming trade exhibitions in the United States.
BASIS President Russell T. Ahmed remarked, “The United States is the largest market for Bangladesh’s IT sector, and this market will grow even larger in the future. There is significant potential for attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), and more opportunities can be created through joint ventures. We should organize more B2B matchmaking sessions, as the IT sector is a key component of Bangladesh’s export diversification.” He also expressed heartfelt gratitude to the U.S. Embassy for its strong support and cooperation with BASIS on various initiatives.
He further noted the urgent need for a survey to identify skill gaps in Bangladesh’s IT sector and called for joint training programs with U.S. partners to address these gaps. He urged U.S. partners to collaborate on training programs with BITM and to help organize a high-level Artificial Intelligence (AI) summit in Bangladesh, in coordination with BASIS and the U.S. Embassy.
The event featured discussions on strengthening business and technological relations between Bangladesh and the United States through mutual cooperation.
