A visiting seven-member trade and investment delegation comprising members from Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs and Board of Foreign Trade showed investment interest at a meeting with the members of Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) here yesterday.

Focusing on the recent trade scenario between the two countries, CCCI President Saifuzzaman Chowdhury said there still exists a huge trade deficit which needs to be reduced to strengthen ties between Bangladesh and Taiwan.

“In 2001-2002, Bangladesh imported goods worth US$ 312 million while Taiwan imported goods to the tune of US$ 13 million only," the chamber president mentioned and urged the delegation to invest in textile, leather and leather-products, light engineering, electronics, plastic goods, fishery and food processing sectors as these are quite prospective sectors here.

The Taiwanese team leader Fu Sheng Chen said different bodies in Taiwan are willing to work and increase investment in Bangladesh.

CCCI Senior Vice-president SM Nurul Haq urged the delegation to set up backward linkage industries for ready-made garments. A delegation of CCCI will soon visit Taiwan to woo investment, he added.