Bangladesh and India have discussed easing Dhaka’s restrictions on Indian yarn imports through land ports, reopening closed border haats and bringing land ports back to full operation as the neighbours seek to revive bilateral trade.
The issues were raised during a meeting between Bangladesh Commerce Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir and Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Dinesh Trivedi in Dhaka. The commerce ministry said bilateral trade currently stands at around $13 billion, but activity has slowed over the past 18 months due to several trade-related obstacles.
The two sides discussed identifying and removing these barriers, establishing a joint task force, strengthening digital infrastructure, encouraging business cooperation and creating new investment opportunities.
Trivedi stressed that stronger economic ties and greater joint investment and production could deepen bilateral relations. He highlighted opportunities for India to support Bangladesh’s garment industry by supplying machinery, zippers, buttons and other inputs.
Both sides expressed support for strengthening economic cooperation and facilitating smoother cross-border trade while maintaining equality and mutual respect between the two countries.