Zakir Hossain from Dhaka
Bangladesh and Pakistan will hold their ninth Joint Economic Commission (JEC) meeting in Dhaka on Monday (Oct 27), the first in 20 years, as the two nations look to strengthen trade and economic ties after the July uprising.
Interim Economic Affairs Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed will lead the Bangladesh side, while Pakistan’s Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik heads Islamabad’s delegation.
Diplomatic sources said several MoUs— on agriculture research, Halal food, IT, and shipping— are at final stages, though it is unclear if they’ll be signed during the meeting. “When it comes to bilateral trade, it is quite imbalanced,” an ERD official told this correspondent. “We would try to boost exports to Pakistan.”
In FY2024–25, Bangladesh imported $787 million worth of goods from Pakistan but exported only $80 million. Dhaka will seek greater duty- and quota-free access for its products. Pervaiz Malik is also expected to call on Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus and Foreign Adviser Touhid Hossain.
Earlier this year, the two countries held their first Foreign Office Consultation in 15 years, followed by high-level visits from both sides. “We want a normal relationship with Pakistan,” Touhid Hossain said last week. “It’s in our interest to establish normal relations, especially in the economic field.”