Message of Chairman

The Bangladesh Foreign Trade Institute (BFTI) is a unique public-private partnership company established in 2003 to be Bangladesh’s pre-eminent research and training organisation on international trade issues with a mandate to work for the benefit of both the government and the private sector.Over the years BFTI has assisted policy makers and stakeholders to understand and formulate trade policy thus helping to shape Bangladesh’s international trade direction. Bangladesh’s inexorable rise towards middle-income country status has been a direct result of its successes in many areas of international trade.
As Bangladesh continues to expand its global trade presence it faces both serious challenges and risks as well as abundant opportunities. Equipping policy makers and trade practitioners with quality research, education and training in international trade is now more important than ever if they are to overcome the challenges and grasp the opportunities. Our friends and colleagues in other countries who are our major competitors are not standing still but moving forward aggressively in new markets with new products and services. Bangladesh must not only do the same, but to exceed the endeavours of competing countries. By forecasting the risks and benefits of a policy and adapting accordingly BFTI can play a significant role in Bangladesh’s future.I urge BFTI to continue to boldly play a meaningful role as Bangladesh’s centre of excellence for research, policy advocacy and education and training in the challenging field of international trade thus contributing to the development of our country.