The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Mr Jason Li): I welcome the guests of the member for Macquarie Fields who are in the gallery: Mr Abdul Ratan, Brian Laul, M. Z. Ahmed Rubel, Shoel Khan, Mohammed Zama, Muzammel Husain, K. M. Islam, Syed Rahman, Torun Rahman and Mohammed Rahman.
Mr ANOULACK CHANTHIVONG (Macquarie Fields—Minister for Better Regulation and Fair Trading, Minister for Industry and Trade, Minister for Innovation, Science and Technology, Minister for Building, and Minister for Corrections) (16:26): I welcome those people from my local community, who do such great work. Our immigrant and multicultural communities have long been part of the backbone of businesses in Australia. The Australian narrative includes many people coming from overseas and bringing with them their ambition, their determination and an entrepreneurial spirit by which they make valuable contributions to our nation, both economically and socially. They open and run many great businesses, both large and small, which are the lifeblood of many of our towns and suburbs and infuse our economy with innovation and a global perspective. A great example of that is the local Australian Bengali or Bangladeshi community in my local area of Macquarie Fields.
Last month I was pleased to attend the inaugural gala night and awards ceremony of the Australia Bangladesh Business Forum [ABBF], together with a number of State and Federal parliamentarians from both sides of the divide, as well as local councillors. It was hosted at Ottimo House in Denham Court. The ABBF was founded only last year, but its membership already includes 300 Bangladeshi-owned Australian businesses. It promotes business collaboration and investment for the diaspora and strengthens trade relations between Australia and Bangladesh. The ABBF has had immense success in such a short time in bringing together many enthusiastic, creative and forward-thinking business leaders who are helping to grow and innovate our local economy. The awards ceremony was a great opportunity to recognise the achievements of our Australian Bangladeshis.
I also commend the ABBF president, Mr Abdul Khan Ratan; the general secretary, Mr Brian Laul, who is also Campbelltown Citizen of the Year; the members of the executive who are here tonight; and those who have helped out for their enormous efforts in establishing the ABBF and supporting business and entrepreneurship in our local area. I also note that Abdul and a number of the executive members are in the gallery today. I welcome them to the New South Wales Parliament, Australia's oldest Parliament. Their presence in the gallery is a great delight to me, as their local member, and I recognise the contributions that they make to our local community.
The ABBF is of special importance for the Macquarie Fields electorate, because many Australian Bangladeshis have chosen my local electorate to be their home, build their businesses and raise their families. They play an important role in our communities by being active citizens and they add to the diverse fabric of our local area. In the outer suburbs, where small businesses are the main economic driver, the initiatives taken by many in the community in opening their own businesses opens more economic and employment opportunities for everybody in their local area. The founding of the ABBF also feels like a natural step from last year's fiftieth anniversary of diplomatic relations between Australia and Bangladesh. It is important to note that Australia was among the first countries in the world to recognise an independent Bangladesh. Joy Bangla, Joy Bangabhandu.
Our countries have a longstanding and valued friendship as democratic Commonwealth nations in the Asia‑Pacific region and our economic ties are growing and strengthening year to year, with New South Wales being at the forefront of that. In 2021-22, our State's two-way merchandise trade with Bangladesh was worth $684 million. Important sectors include education services, agriculture, energy and minerals. Those sectors generate thousands of jobs in our State. However, beyond the balance sheet the people‑to‑people connections and bilateral relationships and friendships are just as valuable. New South Wales is proud to have a strong Bangladeshi diaspora and welcomes many thousands of Bangladeshi students to some of the world's finest education institutions that are located in New South Wales. Our education sector plays an important role in helping to foster cultural understanding and knowledge exchange that can bring our two countries even closer together.
I believe it is necessary that we understand that the many economic potentials that exist for Australia and New South Wales are found in the Asia-Pacific region. Not only is the region geographically significant to us but it is also economically, socially, and politically important for our nation's future interests. This is where most of the world's new economic opportunities will be realised over the coming decades. Therefore, it is valuable to have an association like the ABBF that helps to build those links between us and Bangladesh, which is one of the most promising Asian economies in the region. The ABBF stands as a great springboard for the further development of commercial ties between New South Wales and Bangladeshi businesses. I am very passionate about the growing relationship between our neighbours and making the New South Wales economy innovative and dynamic for the benefit of our hardworking people. Once again, I thank very much Abdul, Brian, and the executive of the ABBF for all their hard work and efforts to make our community a better place.
