Canada keen to expand trade, but Bangladesh suffers ‘perception crisis’

Canada is keen to expand its trade ties with Bangladesh and recently created a post of ‘senior trade commissioner’ in its high commission in Dhaka, but Bangladesh is facing a perception crisis in Ottawa.

“One of our (along with Bangladesh missions in Canada) priorities is to change perception,” Canadian High Commissioner Benoit Préfontaine said while talking to diplomatic correspondents in Dhaka on Thursday.

The Diplomatic Correspondents Association, Bangladesh (DCAB) organised the event under its flagship ‘DCAB Talk’ with its President Raheed Ejaz in the chair. General Secretary Nurul Islam Hasib also spoke at the event.

Préfontaine discussed the whole range of bilateral issues including the upcoming media freedom conference in London on July 10 and 11 in which Canada is a co-host with the UK.

He said Canada will stand up for freedom of expression and freedom of the press, as "we have done alongside so many allies", he said.

“Journalists must have the ability to report facts freely without fear of punishment," the envoy remarked.

Canada was one of the first North American countries that recognised Bangladesh in 1972 soon after independence.

The high commissioner said the relation is “multifaceted and based on support from multilateral institutions, development cooperation, economic growth, cooperation in peacekeeping and support for democratic institutions”.

He said they are gradually moving from ‘aid to trade’ with Bangladesh’s economic growth. The two-way trade has grown “dramatically” over the last 12 years and now it stands at $2.36 billion.

“Nine months ago, we created a new diplomatic position here at the high commission which is senior trade commissioner, a diplomat who specilises in trade, investment, education, science, and technology. We never had such a position in the high commission. So this is new."

Préfontaine said most of his career in the Canada foreign service was also focused on trade and economic side.

“I am the first diplomat who came

(to Dhaka) with such background ,” he said, pointing to the Canadian government’s interest in expanding trade ties.

He said in May he visited Canada and spoke with businesspeople and found their interest in doing business with Bangladesh.

“But many of the perceptions are outdated,” he said, adding that the Canadian businesses still think Bangladesh is a country where “our priority is humanitarian aid….there are floods, cyclones, Rohingya refugee humanitarian crisis".

“I am there to tell them this is the country with high growth. And there is a role for Canada to play beyond sending money.”

The high commissioner also faced questions from the Canadian businesses related to business environment in Bangladesh as the country’s ranking in the World Bank's Ease of Doing Business index is "very low".

The main question he was asked was are they skilled workers if I build a factory or open an office?

The second question is related to infrastructure which is about traffic, transportation bottlenecks, shortage of energy whether its natural gas or electricity.

He informed them that lot of infrastructural projects are currently underway in Bangladesh.

He said they are also interested in the dimension of rule of law. “Is there rule of law and anything can happen?,” he was asked by the Canadian businesses. “Law will prevail fairly and impartially? Is it possible to do business ethically and success since there are issues of governance, corruption?”