BANGLADESH: BMCCI chief leads rubber garden owners team to Kuala Lumpur

Source: Daily "The Financial Express", Dhaka; 26 Jan 2011

President of Bangladesh-Malaysia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BMCCI) Syed Moazzam Hossain is leading a 15-member business delegation to visit Malaysia from today (26 Jan. 2011) to 29 January 2011, according to a press release.

During their stay in Kuala Lumpur, the delegation will visit rubber plants, nursery, successful rubber gardens, hybrid rubber plantations, factories for processing latex, manufacturing rubber block, hand gloves, balloons, tyres, elastic, auto parts, shoe soles, etc.

They will also visit Malaysia's Rubber Research Institute and hold meeting with Malaysian Rubber Planters' Association and Rubber Processing Association.

The objectives of the meeting and visit are to share knowledge and exchange views on rubber plantation and processing, explore the areas of possible cooperation and establish business network between the rubber planters/ processors of the two countries.

Though rubber plantation is relatively new in Bangladesh but it is a very fast growing sector. It has a huge potential in the international market. Local consumption has also gone up substantially.

The country's present annual production of rubber is around 15,000 tones, half of which is produced by the private planters.

“Malaysian investors are also interested to invest in rubber plantation (if they can be allocated the land) and investment in manufacturing of rubber-based products,” said a BMCCI source.

So the visit of the delegation from BRGOA to Malaysia is considered to be a very fruitful one, the BMCCI added.

Mr Moazzam is also the president of Bangladesh Rubber Garden Owners Association (BRGOA) and chairman of FBCCI Standing Committee for Plastic, Rubber & PVC.

(Syed Rashid Ali, Karachi, Pakistan)