Dhaka, Bangladesh (CU)_ The first UK-Bangladesh Trade and Investment Dialogue was held on 16 February 2021 at the Ministry of Commerce in Dhaka. At the conference, the British High Commissioner Robert Chatterton Dickson represented the UK Government and the Secretary of Commerce Dr. Md. Uddin Jafar represented the Bangladesh Government. There were friendly and fruitful discussions about the trade deals between the countries.
At the conference, the United Kingdom and Bangladesh decided to establish a future trade relationship. As Bangladesh is developing its status from Least Developed Country, this trade deal between the two countries will increase mutual prosperity and improve Bangladesh’s economic status. The two countries agreed to strengthen the trade relationship with a joint commitment to the private sector led growth by fostering investment and handling obstacles in trade faced by the companies during export of goods and services.
The British and Bangladesh envoys spoke about the key areas to be improved. The main areas of discussions at the conference were about developing cooperation in the fields of GSP, LDC graduation, investment cooperation, access of Bangladeshi professionals to UK service sectors, trade facilitation, ease of doing business, growth of the financial sector, provision of higher education, taxation issues and security of intellectual property.
The British High Commissioner expressed hopes to enhance trade deals with Bangladesh. He said, “The UK is committed to working with Bangladesh to create a trade and investment relationship that helps both of our economies grow. Foreign Investment can provide jobs, transfer skills and generate revenue. A conducive business environment and removal of market access barriers can benefit both countries.”
The Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce said that this trade deal will improve investments in Bangladesh. He said, “This dialogue will pave the way for our products, services and professionals to penetrate the UK market and contribute to increased investment in Bangladesh and expand our exports.”
