The two offices would also open up other windows of opportunity like easy availability of Taiwanese visa, direct flights between Dhaka and Taipei and Taiwan's participation in building Bangladesh's infrastructure.

Top officials here said a Taipei Representative Office formally opened its door in Dhaka yesterday after a yearlong negotiation process between the two countries.

The opening of the office coincided with the visit of a top level Bangladesh business delegation led by FBCCI President Abdul Awal Mintoo to the island to drum up investments in Bangladesh.

Officials said a Taipei Trade Office is expected to begin operation in Dhaka on April 26 during the visit of a top business delegation from Taiwan. The Taiwanese delegation will have a four-day visit to Dhaka and Chittagong.

Bangladesh is the second country in South Asia where Taiwan has opened a Representative Office -- the first being the Taipei Economic and Cultural Centre in New Delhi, which was set up in 1995.

"I am very glad to announce the significant advance in our foreign relations with the establishment of the office in Bangladesh," said Taiwanese Foreign Affairs Minister Eugene Chien.

The first Taiwanese representative to Bangladesh is Frank Chen, a former deputy director General of the Taiwanese Foreign Ministry's Department of General Affairs.

He was quoted by Taipei press as saying that Bangladesh government would announce the date on which its Representative Office in Taiwan would be opened.

Yuen-Chuan Chao, president of Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) that will open the Trade Office, however told the Bangladeshi business delegation that they expect Dhaka will open its office within a couple of months.

He informed that Bangladesh was among the three countries Taipei had targeted to strengthen relations this year. The two other countries are India and Korea.

Asked about what kind of relations they intended to foster, he said it is all about trade and investment as well as education, culture and technology.

"Taiwan can hire your people. We know your people are very hard working and intelligent. Your people have great potential, especially in the field of ICT and software development," said the TAITRA president.

The employment of Bangladeshi labourers in Taiwan was a key issue on the agenda during negotiations on the establishment of the Representative Office in Dhaka, Taiwanese Foreign Ministry officials said.

The TAITRA president said Bangladesh has the potential to receive Taiwanese investment. He pointed out that some 70,000 Taiwanese investors made investment in mainland China which became the third largest exporter after Japan and United States.

The 40-member FBCCI delegation is now in Taipei on the last leg of their visit to three countries. Earlier they visited Japan and South Korea.