Bangladesh has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Islamic Centre for Development of Trade (ICDT) to strengthen cooperation in trade and investment.
The signing ceremony took place at the ICDT office in Casablanca, Morocco, on Thursday, according to a press release issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Bangladesh Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), MJH Jabed, and Director General of ICDT, Latifa Elbouabdellaoui, signed the MoU on behalf of their respective organisations.
Established as a subsidiary organ of the OIC in 1984, ICDT is mandated to promote trade and investments across the OIC region.
During discussions preceding the signing ceremony, the Bangladesh side highlighted that trade expansion and investment attraction are among the key priorities of the present government led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. The government is ready to extend full support to its trade partners to enhance Bangladesh’s image as a trading nation internationally.
The Bangladesh delegation also requested ICDT researchers to include various economic sectors and sub-sectors of Bangladesh in their research and policy advocacy portfolio.
The Bangladesh envoys thanked ICDT authorities for their decision to sign the MoU, which is expected to facilitate exchange of ideas, professionals, and institutional collaboration between the Bangladesh Foreign Trade Institute (BFTI) and ICDT. Both sides expressed optimism that Bangladeshi professionals would have opportunities to contribute to ICDT’s work programmes.
The ICDT Director General appreciated Bangladesh’s initiative to sign the formal MoU, noting that Bangladesh is a regular contributor to OIC organisations and an active member at various OIC forums. She described the signing as a historic occasion.
She also informed that ICDT is considering including Bangladesh as a pilot country in various trade promotion initiatives, including designating Dhaka as a regional hub for trade and investment matchmaking works. She added that the ICDT country profile on Bangladesh would be updated soon, and talks would be initiated to implement a trade and investment country programme for 2026-27.
The MoU is initially operational for two years, with opportunities for extension subject to mutual consent, the release added.
