Bangladesh, Nepal Eye Stronger Trade, Investment Ties

Bangladesh and Nepal have discussed ways to strengthen bilateral trade and investment, with both sides emphasising the need to deepen economic cooperation and expand engagement in key sectors.

The discussions took place during a meeting in Kathmandu between Bangladesh Ambassador Md Shafiqur Rahman and Shishir Khanal at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

During the meeting, the ambassador conveyed greetings from Bangladesh’s foreign minister and expressed Dhaka’s readiness to work closely with Nepal to advance mutual interests.

Both sides explored avenues to boost trade and investment, highlighting the importance of finalising a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) to facilitate greater market access and economic exchange.

They also identified several potential areas of cooperation, including tourism, agriculture, food security and hydropower.

The Nepalese foreign minister underscored the importance of establishing direct air connectivity between Pokhara and Cox’s Bazar to promote tourism and enhance people-to-people contact.

The Bangladesh envoy proposed developing a structured roadmap to fully utilise the potential of bilateral cooperation in priority sectors.

Both sides expressed optimism that enhanced collaboration and sustained engagement would help elevate relations and contribute to shared economic growth and regional stability.