Written by The Banking Post
Bangladesh and the European Union have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening trade and investment cooperation, signalling closer economic engagement in the coming years.
The assurance came during a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference held in Yaoundé on March 29.
Commerce Minister Khandaker Abdul Muqtadir said Bangladesh is taking forward-looking steps to integrate more deeply into global value chains and improve the business climate to sustain trade-led growth.
With the country set to graduate from the least developed country (LDC) category, Dhaka requested a three-year extension of the transition period to safeguard export competitiveness and ease adjustment risks.
The minister also urged early discussions on a Free Trade Agreement (FTA), noting that the EU remains Bangladesh’s largest export destination, particularly for ready-made garments.
Highlighting broader trade efforts, he said Bangladesh has already concluded an Economic Partnership Agreement with Japan and is negotiating similar deals with several countries, including South Korea, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates.
EU officials welcomed Bangladesh’s ongoing labour reforms and indicated that the request for an extended transition period would be considered positively. On the proposed FTA, they said the matter would be assessed after completing internal procedures.
Both sides stressed the need for transparency, fairness and a level playing field in trade and investment, agreeing to continue close engagement on future economic cooperation.
