Pakistan’s Minister for Commerce, Jam Kamal Khan, met Bangladesh’s Adviser for Commerce Sheikh Bashir Uddin in Dhaka on Friday to explore avenues for expanding bilateral trade, mutual investments, and economic cooperation. Pakistan’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Imran Haider, also attended the meeting.
Both sides agreed to revive the long-dormant Joint Economic Commission (JEC), last convened in 2005, and to establish a Joint Trade Commission that will develop a roadmap to strengthen commercial ties, set future trade targets, and outline steps to achieve them. Additionally, a Joint Working Group on Trade is being formed to institutionalise dialogue and enhance cooperation.
The discussions covered a wide range of sectors, including agriculture, renewable energy, green ship-breaking, shipbuilding, steel, halal trade, leather, rice, dates, minerals, sugar, agro-processing, and dehydrated fruits. Both parties also emphasised the need for efficient logistics, tariff reductions, and preferential access for Bangladeshi products in Pakistani markets to improve competitiveness.
Highlighting the vast untapped potential between the two economies, both leaders agreed that the governments must capitalise on the current momentum to create a more conducive environment for trade and investment.
The commerce minister’s visit comes amid warming ties between Islamabad and Dhaka following last year’s political transition in Bangladesh. Earlier, he also met the Adviser for Industries, Adilur Rahman Khan, to discuss industrial cooperation, and expressed Pakistan’s interest in joint ventures within Bangladesh’s growing industrial sector.
Meanwhile, in Rawalpindi, Bangladesh Army’s Quarter Master General, Lt Gen Faizur Rahman, held discussions with Pakistan’s Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza, on strengthening defence and security cooperation.
Separately, the Foreign Office confirmed that Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar will visit Dhaka over the weekend for high-level engagements with Bangladeshi leadership, including Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus and Adviser for Foreign Affairs Touhid Hossain, to discuss the full spectrum of bilateral and regional issues.
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