Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is expected to meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during his visit to the transcontinental country for COP31, allowing the two leaders to exchange views on bilateral and international issues.
The government is preparing for Bangladesh’s participation in the UN climate conference, where the prime minister is expected to attend the high-level segment. Türkiye will host COP31 in November this year in Antalya.
The visit comes at a time when Dhaka-Ankara relations are expanding across several areas, including trade, investment, defence cooperation and the Rohingya issue.
The prime minister is also expected to hold meetings with other world leaders attending the climate summit.
Bangladesh Ambassador to Türkiye M Amanul Haq told TIMES of Bangladesh that it is customary for the host country’s leadership to meet visiting heads of government.
“It is a practice for the host to meet the visiting leaders, “he said. However, things will be clear after the diplomatic briefing to be given by the Turkish Minister for Environment on 1 September 2026.
The two leaders may also have an opportunity to meet in New York during the UN General Assembly, where both are expected to attend, he said.
COP-31 preparations
Türkiye is currently preparing to host COP-31, and diplomats based in Ankara are expected to receive a briefing on the arrangements next week, the ambassador said.
“Türkiye is taking preparations for COP-31, and all diplomats based in Ankara will be briefed on the preparations next week. We will have a clearer understanding of the event after the briefing and will make our preparations accordingly,” he said.
Dhaka-Ankara ties
Bilateral relations between Bangladesh and Türkiye have expanded in recent years, with trade, investment, the Rohingya crisis and defence cooperation emerging as key areas of engagement.
Two-way trade has crossed $1 billion, with the balance in Bangladesh’s favour. Türkiye has also invested in Bangladesh and has provided humanitarian assistance and cooperation on the Rohingya crisis since its early stages.
Defence cooperation, in particular, has gained significant momentum in recent years. The two countries are negotiating a defence cooperation framework, which is expected to be signed soon.
Regular defence cooperation between Bangladesh and Türkiye is also continuing, while discussions are underway on technology transfer to upgrade Bangladesh’s existing defence ordinance factory with Turkish assistance.
Amanul said negotiations on technical assistance started during the interim government period and continued
He said the bilateral relationship was expected to deepen further in the coming days.
“Our relationship is growing, and we expect its depth and breadth to expand further in the coming days,” Amanul said.
