Bangladesh and the UK agreed on Wednesday to revive the bilateral Trade and Investment Dialogue, with the goal of strengthening economic relations and exploring new opportunities for strategic collaboration.
The agreement was reached during a high-level meeting between Commerce Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir and UK Trade Envoy Baroness Rosie Winterton at the minister’s secretariat office. During the discussions, both sides underscored the importance of strengthening bilateral trade ties and boosting investment flows to support sustainable, long-term economic growth.
The meeting highlighted a mutual commitment to strengthening the partnership through closer economic integration and cooperative initiatives. Khandaker Abdul Muktadir outlined the government’s broad efforts to modernize the national economy and draw in foreign investment.
He emphasized key priority areas where reforms are underway, including improving the investment climate, enhancing logistics and business processes, leveraging human capital, and integrating more fully into global trade.
The Commerce Minister further urged the United Kingdom to maintain preferential market access for Bangladeshi exports under the Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS). In response, the UK Trade Envoy emphasized the need for Bangladesh to diversify its export base in order to maximize the benefits of existing market opportunities.
While recognizing the established strength of the ready-made garments (RMG) sector, Winterton highlighted several promising areas for greater presence in the UK market. These include processed food items, marine and aquaculture products, light engineering goods, as well as leather and leather-derived products.
To promote investment in key sectors, the UK side encouraged Bangladesh to make use of approximately £2 billion in export credit available through UK Export Finance.
The envoy noted that this financing facility is specifically structured to support investments in infrastructure and other key areas, thereby providing a substantial boost to Bangladesh’s infrastructure development and overall economic growth.
Both countries formally agreed to revive the Trade and Investment Dialogue, expressing confidence that the mechanism will strengthen bilateral economic ties and foster a more resilient, mutually beneficial partnership in the years ahead.
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