He said this while speaking as the chief guest at a seminar titled 'Think Halal, Grow Global' organized by the Malaysian High Commission at Hotel Radisson Blu in the capital on Wednesday.

The information minister said halal food, halal culture and halal values will become a strength not only for the Muslim community; it will also become a strength for human civilization. Noting that halal food has a large global market, he said the development of halal products and culture is not just a religious or cultural matter, it is also related to the global economy and human welfare.

Highlighting the shared values of Bangladesh and Malaysia in religious and social spheres, the information minister said Bangladesh and Malaysia can jointly play an important role in developing the halal industry and expanding the global market for halal products by utilizing their common values, culture and experience.

Highlighting the potential of halal products, the information minister said the demand for halal products in the global market is increasing day by day. People are waiting to get more quality halal products. At the same time, investors are also looking for opportunities to utilize the potential of this sector. Therefore, the right concept, information, knowledge and a business framework need to be created for entrepreneurs involved in the halal industry.

The information minister commented that if proper concepts and knowledge can be combined, it will turn into a big market and the acceptability of halal products among consumers will increase further.

The information minister called upon entrepreneurs, investors, businessmen and related institutions to work in an integrated manner in this regard.

Referring to the recent visit of Bangladesh's Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to Kuala Lumpur, Jahir Uddin Swapan said the way Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim welcomed Bangladesh's Prime Minister during the visit and the excellent arrangements made by Malaysian authorities for Bangladesh's Prime Minister were a shining example of the friendly relations between the two countries. For this, he expressed gratitude on behalf of Bangladesh's Prime Minister and government to the Malaysian government and Prime Minister.

The information minister said the foundation of the friendly relations between Bangladesh and Malaysia is not limited to state-level contacts; this relationship can be further deepened through the values, culture and mutual cooperation of the people. He commented that the halal industry can emerge as an important new area of that cooperation.

At the seminar, Malaysian High Commissioner Mohammad Shuhada Othman and President of the Bangladesh Malaysia Chamber of Commerce and Industry Anwar Shahid spoke.

Businessmen, investors, entrepreneurs and representatives of relevant sectors were present at the event.