Zakir Hossain / Dhaka
Bangladesh and Pakistan have agreed to set up a joint trade and investment commission and revive the long-dormant Joint Economic Commission (JEC) to boost bilateral ties, Commerce Adviser Sk Bashir Uddin said after talks with visiting Pakistani Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan.
Bashir urged Islamabad to withdraw the anti-dumping duty on Bangladesh’s hydrogen peroxide exports and restore duty-free access for one crore kg of Bangladeshi tea. He also sought Pakistani cooperation in leather and sugar industries, noting that “Bangladesh imports around $80 billion worth of goods annually, of which $15 billion goes to food items. Pakistan could be a reliable source to meet part of this demand.”
On imports, he added Dhaka considers “almost all countries, including the USA and India,” as suppliers. Commerce Secretary Mahbubur Rahman said both sides were now “engaging to ease trade and commerce” after years of limited progress.
During his four-day visit, Khan also met Dhaka Chamber of Commerce & Industry president Taskeen Ahmed, stressing the need to diversify exports beyond textiles. He pointed to rising demand for reused clothing in Europe, Canada and the US, suggesting joint ventures to tap the sector. He also announced a “Single Country Exhibition” of Pakistani products in Dhaka.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar will arrive in Dhaka on Saturday (August 23) for a two-day visit. Six to seven agreements and MoUs are expected, including visa exemption for diplomatic passport holders, cultural exchange, cooperation between foreign service academies, a joint trade roadmap, and collaborations between state news agencies, quality control bodies and agricultural research institutions. Dhaka has already approved the visa exemption deal.