Bangladesh aims to acquire coal and limestone from Pakistan during commercial negotiations to fulfill its industrial needs.
Bangladesh and Pakistan Pursue Closer Trade Cooperation
Bangladesh and Pakistan are moving towards strengthening their trade relations, with a particular focus on securing raw materials such as coal and limestone from Sindh, Pakistan. This development was discussed during a meeting between Pakistan's Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan and Bangladesh's High Commissioner Iqbal Hussain Khan.
The discussions centered around Bangladesh's growing industrial needs, particularly for Pakistani coal and limestone to support its power generation and soda ash production. Both sides expressed optimism about transforming regional economic partnerships through enhanced trade cooperation in these critical sectors.
Key aspects of this cooperation include the exploration of establishing sector-specific business linkages, particularly in textiles, mineral exports, and Halal-certified meat products. This collaboration aims to boost bilateral trade and industrial collaboration, with both sides committing to streamline trade mechanisms in the coming months.
Energy cooperation is another key focus, with Pakistan expected to help fulfill Bangladesh’s power generation requirements through coal supplies. Moreover, the discussions also targeted overcoming logistical challenges and streamlining visa processes to ease business and trade operations, aiming at smoother bilateral commerce and faster movement of goods and people.
Opportunities in agricultural trade were also discussed, with Pakistan's potential imports of mangoes from Bangladesh under consideration, pending technical approvals. Additionally, High Commissioner Khan shared insights from his recent visits to Pakistan's industrial hubs, and the operationalization of two more joint border markets was also discussed.
The federal minister highlighted the strategic potential of the relationship, emphasizing focused collaboration in energy, logistics, and food security. High Commissioner Khan urged the operationalization of these markets, and both sides committed to addressing logistical challenges for smoother trade exchanges.
The meeting concluded with commitments to establish sector-specific business linkages, with both sides showing enthusiastic engagement during these visits. A statement was released by the Ministry of Commerce regarding the meeting, reflecting the positive atmosphere and the shared ambition to deepen trade cooperation between the two countries.
- Irka might explore potential business ventures in sports equipment, considering Pakistan's abundant coal supplies could power manufacturing facilities, thus strengthening trade ties between the two countries.
- In a bid to further strengthen bilateral relations, Pakistan could consider exporting its Halal-certified meat products to Bangladesh, which could be a boon for its sports industry, given the high demand for quality protein sources in athlete diets.
