Dhaka, August 22: Bangladesh and Pakistan have taken new steps to strengthen their long-dormant trade relationship, with top officials from both countries meeting in Dhaka on Thursday to discuss deeper economic cooperation and investment opportunities.
Pakistan’s Minister of Commerce Jam Kamal Khan and Bangladesh’s Adviser for Commerce Sk Bashir Uddin held wide-ranging talks covering bilateral trade, agriculture, renewable energy, and industrial collaboration. According to officials, both sides agreed to set up a Joint Working Group on Trade and to reactivate the Joint Economic Commission (JEC), which last met in 2005. They also announced plans for a Joint Trade Commission that will map out future commercial ties and define clear trade targets.
Talks covered sectors including agricultural modernization, renewable energy, shipbuilding, green ship recycling, construction aggregates, leather, rice, dates, minerals, sugar, and agro-processing. Connectivity and logistics were also identified as areas needing urgent improvement to reduce costs.
Officials said discussions also touched on reducing tariffs and duties and exploring preferential access for Bangladeshi products in Pakistan. Both sides emphasized that there is “vast untapped potential” in bilateral trade, and that ordinary citizens in both countries could benefit from closer ties.
In addition to trade talks, Jam Kamal Khan also met Bangladesh’s Adviser for Food, All Imam Majumdar, to explore collaboration on food security. The two sides reviewed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on rice trade, signed in January 2025, under which Pakistan delivered 50,000 metric tons of rice to Bangladesh. Officials said the MoU will serve as a platform for regular exchanges between governments and private sectors to boost trade in essential commodities.
The Pakistani minister also highlighted the upcoming 3rd International Food and Agricultural Exhibition (FoodAg 2025) in Karachi, scheduled for November 25–27, as a chance for Bangladeshi businesses to explore Pakistan’s agricultural sector.
Both delegations agreed on the need to improve crop yields and modernize farming practices to meet the growing food demands in both countries. The meeting concluded with a joint commitment to expand cooperation through stakeholder engagement and long-term economic collaboration.