Shawdesh Desk:

Ambassador of the European Union (EU) to Bangladesh Charles Whiteley on Thursday said he does not see any sign that the recent decision on sanctions is having an impact on European business interest in Bangladesh or their desire to take that business forward.

“I would say business is business, and they (investors) pay attention to whether they can make money in the country and whether there are attractive business climates. So, I haven’t seen any signs yet that these developments would have an impact on business engagement in Bangladesh,” he said.

The EU envoy also said businesses pay attention to the overall picture in a country.

Ambassador Whiteley said what matters to businesses is to do their business in a “good, clean and fair way” with a level playing field. “I think that’s the primary concern. Sometimes, political developments can have an impact on businesses.”

The diplomat made the remarks while responding to a question at a programme titled “Meet the Reporters” hosted by the Dhaka Reporters’ Unity (DRU) at its Nasrul Hamid Auditorium. DRU President Nazrul Islam Mithu and General Secretary Nurul Islam Hasib also spoke at the programme.