Bangladesh’s exports are expected to reach $60 billion by 2021 coinciding with the country's 50th independence anniversary. Contributory factors are a dynamic private sector, strong economic foundation and fundamentals and the country’s strategic location.

Current annual exports now stand at over $31 billion and are now increasing at 12.5 per cent a year. The country wants to transform from a labor-reliant economy to a digital one. Sectors in the van are garments, medicine, leather, ship building and information technology.

Employment opportunities will be created for a million youths in the IT sector. It’s estimated, the country will need a few hundred thousand programmers in the next five years. Bangladesh hopes to become a mid-income country by 2021. The targeted growth rate for the current fiscal is seven per cent.

Meanwhile a month-long trade fair is on in Bangladesh. It covers an area of four lakh sq ft. Some of the leading industrial enterprises of Bangladesh and China, Thailand, Iran, and India are taking part in the fair. A number of high profile trade and investment delegations from these countries are visiting the fair to explore trade and investment prospects. India is participating for the fifth time.