British Bangladeshi Community Coalition to hold business summit in Dhaka

The British Bangladeshi Community Coalition (BBCC) will organize a major business summit in Dhaka in 2027 to further strengthen business and investment cooperation between the UK and Bangladesh and form a purchasing consortium to build the capacity of small and medium-sized businesses.

Through this, British-Bangladeshi small and medium enterprises (SMEs) will be connected with corporate institutions and SMEs in Bangladesh, build capacity, expand bilateral trade, increase investment, establish joint ventures, build direct and effective business and investment partnerships. One of its objectives is to build supply chain partnerships and create opportunities to enter new markets.

These plans were highlighted at an event titled 'An Evening with Hopes Foundation - Business, Philanthropy and Strategic Partnerships', jointly organized by the British Bangladeshi Community Coalition and Hopes Foundation (Bangladesh) in London on October 25.

The event was attended by businessmen, entrepreneurs, professionals, social workers and community leaders from various sectors in Britain. The event was graced by the chief guest, Enayetuddin Khan Kaisay, President of Hopes Foundation (Bangladesh). The event, hosted by BBCC Secretary General Abdul Shukur Khalisadar, was addressed by Shiraz Haque, Chairman, British Bangladeshi Community Foundation and Dr. M. Afzal Hossain, one of the founding members of Hopes Foundation and former VC, Agricultural University, Mustafizur Rahman, Advisor, Hopes Foundation and Abdullah Mahmud, CEO of Next Stage Events.

Among the female entrepreneurs participating in the event were Shelina Akhtar — Entrepreneur and BBCC Trustee, Rajna Al Farhadi — Roots of Wellness CIC, Tania Chowdhury — Bejeweled by Amirah, Jasmine Rahman — Jewelry London, Fatima Khatun — Fenty Fashion, Afia Sharmin — Shefali Boutique, and Bridget Galloway — LBTH Town Center Manager.

Announcement of the formation of the Purchasing SME Consortium

Bridget highlighted the importance of strengthening Galloway's local business support activities with the wider business community.

Speaking as the chief guest, Enayetuddin Khan said that their non-profit charity Hopes Foundation will work to connect Bangladeshi and British-Bangladeshi SME entrepreneurs. This organization supports youth and women entrepreneurs in Bangladesh.

He said, "The success of Bangladeshi entrepreneurs in the UK's restaurant and service sectors is known to the whole world. Beyond this, there are thousands of entrepreneurs and women entrepreneurs of Bangladeshi origin in various SME sub-sectors in Britain, including retail. With their help, Bangladeshi entrepreneurs can grow their businesses in Britain and Europe and add more value to their businesses."

Enayetuddin Khan is the Managing Director of Sonia Group of Industries, a major player in Bangladesh's garment export sector.

BBCC Secretary General Abdul Shukur Khalisadar said, "The BBCC Purchasing Consortium is an initiative to increase the collective purchasing power of small traders. Its main goal is to bring small and independent businesses and buyers under a collective purchasing platform, so that they can jointly purchase products at more competitive prices and negotiate better trading terms with large manufacturers, wholesalers and suppliers."

This initiative can play a significant role in retail, hospitality, food distribution and other sectors where small businesses are facing increasing costs and competition. Businesses participating in a purchasing consortium can pool their purchasing requirements to take advantage of bulk purchasing and economies of scale. While the individual purchasing power of a small business may be limited, the combined purchasing power of many businesses can become a significant commercial force.

He said that there are thousands of small and medium-sized businesses in Britain that are keen to expand into international markets. On the other hand, many large industrial groups and well-established corporate institutions in Bangladesh now have significant capabilities. The two sides need to come together to open up opportunities for small businesses. 

Abdul Shukur Khalisadar said, "Individually, many of our small businesses do not have the purchasing power to compete with large companies on an equal footing. But collectively, they can become a major commercial force. The BBCC Purchasing Consortium will harness this collective power.

He said, "Our goal is to bring together small buyers to purchase products at better prices, ensure better supply arrangements and favorable trading terms. Through this, our goal is to make businesses more competitive and sustainable in the long term."

During the interactive Q&A and discussion session at the event, participants said that business initiatives and social welfare activities can complement each other and make important contributions to the long-term economic and social development of the two countries.

The BBCCC said it plans to travel to Dhaka with a business delegation from the UK to create opportunities for long-term commercial partnerships through direct contact and B2B meetings with British-Bangladeshi SME entrepreneurs. However, the BBCCC will take forward the business initiatives planned for the period after the summit.