Bangladesh and Pakistan have reactivated their bilateral economic discussions after nearly twenty years through the 9th Joint Economic Commission (JEC) meeting, with the goal of deepening cooperation in trade, investment, energy, and technical sectors.
The two-day session began at the NEC conference room in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka on Monday morning.
Bangladesh’s Finance Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed is leading the local delegation, while Pakistan’s Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik is representing Islamabad.
The JEC remains the highest institutional platform for economic cooperation between the two nations. The last meeting took place in 2005 in Islamabad. Both sides described the revival of this bilateral platform after 20 years as a remarkable development in strengthening economic cooperation.
Salehuddin said cooperation between Bangladesh and Pakistan should extend beyond bilateral concerns and evolve into regional collaboration for broader prosperity.
He said, “Our cooperation should not be limited to bilateral issues only; we should also move toward regional cooperation. If countries in South Asia can collaborate in this way, it will be better for everyone.”
He also informed the meeting discussed a range of topics such as trade, commerce, agriculture, IT, and food security.
The adviser added focal points would be appointed within relevant ministries, including Civil Aviation and Maritime Affairs, to ensure follow-up actions on cooperation in aviation, shipping, and logistics.
When asked about the possibility of achieving a three-billion-dollar trade target, Salehuddin remarked it was too early to determine any specific goal.
He explained, “These are mainly MoUs that have been signed, and the respective ministries will now take them forward.”
Ali Pervaiz Malik expressed gratitude for Bangladesh’s warm reception, describing the convening of the JEC meeting after two decades as significant.
He said that Pakistan is keen to explore new avenues of cooperation in sectors such as agriculture, pharmaceuticals, power, and energy.
Malik observed the existing trade volume between Bangladesh and Pakistan remains below one billion dollars, though it has potential to grow substantially due to their complementary economies.
“We have identified various areas of cooperation, and by the next meeting, we hope to show measurable progress.”
Both nations expressed optimism the revival of the JEC would pave the way for enhanced collaboration and open new prospects for deeper bilateral and regional economic integration in the future.
