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Commerce Adviser Sk. Bashir Uddin today (Saturday) met visiting Prime Minister of Bhutan Dasho Tshering Tobgay, focusing on strengthening bilateral ties and boosting trade and investment cooperation between the two neighboring countries.
The meeting was held at a hotel in Dhaka this afternoon, BSS reports.
During the meeting, both sides exchanged views on deepening economic collaboration, enhancing bilateral trade flows, and exploring new avenues of investment, an official release said.
Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay described Bangladesh–Bhutan relations as “excellent”, noting that expanding trade would add a new dimension to the existing friendly ties.
He recalled that Bangladesh is the only country with which Bhutan has a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA), and expressed his government’s interest in moving towards a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) to further expand bilateral trade with Bangladesh.
The Bhutanese Premier thanked the Government of Bangladesh for allocating a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Kurigram exclusively for Bhutan. He said a number of preparatory activities have already started at the site.
Highlighting Bhutan’s plans to build the biodiversity city of Gelephu, he said the proposed city aims to protect the country’s rich natural biodiversity while developing modern and sustainable infrastructure.
As large volumes of construction materials will be required for the Gelephu project, he expressed Bhutan’s interest in importing such materials from Bangladesh.
He also mentioned Bhutan’s growing demand for Bangladeshi pharmaceuticals, ceramic products, readymade garments and electronic items, and expressed keen interest in expanding imports in these sectors.
Inviting Bangladeshi tourists to visit Bhutan, the Prime Minister said that while the Sustainable Development Fee (SDF) for tourists from most countries is set at US$100 per night, Bhutan has fixed the fee at only US$15 for tourists from Bangladesh and other South Asian nations.
He urged the Bangladesh government to take initiatives to encourage more Bangladeshi travelers to visit Bhutan.
Commerce Adviser Sk. Bashir Uddin expressed gratitude to Bhutan for being the first country to recognise Bangladesh after its independence. He noted that enhanced trade cooperation would further strengthen bilateral ties.
On the proposed FTA, the Adviser said the matter would be taken up with due importance at the upcoming Bangladesh–Bhutan secretary-level meeting. He also stressed increased business-to-business visits and experience-sharing between the businesses of the two countries.
The adviser highlighted that Bangladesh now manufactures world-class pharmaceuticals, ceramics, readymade garments and construction materials. He encouraged Bhutan to take advantage of these sectors through importing such items from Bangladesh to expand bilateral trade.
Bhutanese Foreign Affairs and External Trade Minister D.N. Dhungyel, Industry, Commerce and Employment Minister Lyonpo Namgyal Dorji, and Bangladesh Commerce Secretary Mahbubur Rahman were also present at the meeting.