Business leaders from Bangladesh and Thailand have called for the implementation of a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) to enhance bilateral trade, investment, and economic cooperation, particularly to expand market access across Southeast Asia and the Asia-Pacific region.
The demand came at a meeting between the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) and the Thai-Bangladesh Business Council, held in Gulshan on Wednesday.
FBCCI Administrator Md Hafizur Rahman, who chaired the meeting, said Thailand is a key commercial hub in the Asia-Pacific, while Bangladesh boasts a large, skilled youth population.
He highlighted sectors such as processed food, tourism, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, infrastructure, energy, and light engineering as promising areas for Thai investment.
Rahman expressed optimism that both nations would move forward on signing a free trade agreement, noting it would accelerate the import-export of goods and services and encourage greater investment.
Panom Thongprayon, Chargé d’Affaires at the Royal Thai Embassy in Dhaka, said both countries are committed to deepening their bilateral economic ties and hoped the meeting would strengthen business-to-business networking.
Thai-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce President and former DCCI president Shams Mahmud, Senior Vice President Md Munir Hossain, FBCCI Secretary General Md Alamgir, Head of International Affairs Wing Md Zafar Iqbal NDC, and members of both councils, were present at the meeting, among others.
