Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS) organized the ‘BASIS America Desk Stakeholders’ Meet’ with the goal of expanding and enhancing ICT business relations between Bangladesh and the United States.
Held at the BASIS auditorium, the event was attended by James Gardiner, Acting Chief of the Economic Unit of the U.S. Embassy in Dhaka, John Fay, Commercial Counselor of the U.S. Embassy, BASIS President Russell T. Ahmed, Senior Vice President M. Rashidul Hasan, Vice President (Finance) Iqbal Ahmed Fakhrul Hasan, Directors Mir Shahrukh Islam, Biplob Ghosh Rahul, Chairman of the BASIS America Desk Noor Mahmud Khan, along with more than 70 members of the BASIS America Desk. The event was conducted by BASIS Vice President (Admin) Syed Mohammad Kamal.
During the event, James Gardiner emphasized key goals for “Bangladesh 2.0,” aimed at achieving deeper integration into the global economy. He stressed the importance of strengthening cybersecurity infrastructure, ensuring proper regulatory policies, and fostering a business-friendly environment to attract international investment. Gardiner also highlighted the need for greater governmental engagement, urging Bangladesh to lead by example, particularly by cracking down on the use of pirated software. He called for the promotion of ethical business practices aligned with international standards to enhance Bangladesh’s global image.
John Fay, Commercial Counselor of the U.S. Embassy, reaffirmed the embassy’s commitment to strengthening commercial ties. He assured participants that the embassy would facilitate connections in various ways, including expediting visa processes for IT/ITES industry representatives, providing B2B matchmaking support, and promoting Bangladesh’s participation in upcoming trade exhibitions in the U.S.
BASIS President Russell T. Ahmed said, “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 creating more opportunities through joint ventures.” He also advocated for more B2B matchmaking sessions, as the IT sector is one of the primary drivers of Bangladesh’s export diversification. Ahmed expressed deep gratitude for the U.S. Embassy’s strong support and cooperation in BASIS initiatives.
He further highlighted the need for an urgent survey to identify skill gaps in Bangladesh’s IT sector and called for joint training programs with U.S. partners to address these gaps. Additionally, Ahmed urged collaboration between the U.S. Embassy and BASIS in organizing training programs with BITM and hosting a high-level Artificial Intelligence (AI) conference in Bangladesh.
The event concluded with discussions on enhancing business and technological relations between Bangladesh and the United States through mutual cooperation.