Chamber president Sayeed Farhad Ahmed said French businessmen see Bangladesh as a potential outsourcing destination for software and other information technology based products, especially web development and graphic design.

He urged businessmen to take advantage of this opportunity.

However not all businessmen attending the meeting were so enthusiastic about French-Bangladeshi trade relations. Shamson H Chowdhury expressed his dissatisfaction about the way France treated the transfer of technology on pharmaceutical products and ceramic goods to Bangladesh.

Sophie Clavelier Khan, an official of the French Embassy, countered his criticism, saying that a French pharmaceutical company had agreed to talk with Bangladeshi businessmen about the issue.

French ambassador Jacques-Andre Costilhes told the meeting that a gala exhibition of Bangladeshi antique collections would be held in Paris soon. The exhibition will showcase Bangladeshi artworks, he said, adding that a cultural, photo and cinema festival and a fashion show will also be held.

The French-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry started its journey in July 2000 with the aim of promoting trade, commerce, business and industrial relations between France and Bangladesh.