'Spain Bangladesh Expo 2026' opens in Seville, with hopes of expanding trade and investment
The 'Spain Bangladesh Expo 2026' has opened amid colourful arrangements in Seville, the capital of Spain's Andalusia region. The expo has been organised to strengthen bilateral trade, investment and business partnership between Bangladesh and Spain.
The event was held on Monday (26 October) at Hotel Sevilla Center in Seville, at the initiative of the Spain Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SBCCI) and with the overall cooperation of the Bangladesh Embassy in Madrid.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaid Islam formally inaugurated the expo at the start of the day. After the inauguration, she visited the exhibition stalls of Bangladeshi and Spanish entrepreneurs and praised the organisers' initiative.
Special guests at the event included Bangladesh's Ambassador to Spain Masudur Rahman, NDC, and the Director General of the Foreign Ministry's West Europe and EU wing, Md Mosharraf Hossain.
Bangladesh's readymade garment sector was represented by BGMEA President Mahmud Hasan Khan. The organising body SBCCI was represented by its President Muhammad Ashiqur Rahman and Secretary General Ashik Elahi Chowdhury.
From the Spanish side, the event was joined by the Andalusia regional government's employment and business minister Rocio Blanco Eguren, Madrid senator and foreign affairs committee chair Antonio Gutierrez Limonis, Panama district deputy mayor Albert Pimental, Seville City Council director Manuel Perezo Guzman, senior representatives of the Andalusia government and leading Spanish business figures.
Speakers at the inaugural session said there is huge potential to expand Bangladesh's trade with Spain. In particular, significant opportunities exist for joint investment and trade growth in the readymade garment, leather and footwear industries.
The speakers expressed hope that the expo would play a role in taking Bangladesh's economic and commercial relations with the Andalusia region to a new height.
Certificates were handed to representatives of the participating Bangladeshi and Spanish commercial firms. Commemorative gifts were also presented to the honoured guests.
As part of the expo, a business-to-business (B2B) meeting was held in the afternoon to strengthen business contact between promising entrepreneurs and businesspeople of the two countries.
On the second day of the programme, 27 October, the delegation is scheduled to visit the Andalusian Parliament and the Seville Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Under the following programme, another special B2B meeting between entrepreneurs of the two countries is scheduled to be held on 28 October at the Malaga Chamber of Commerce.
