Business & Economy
Bangladesh seeks progress towards free-trade talks with Turkey
Bangladesh and Turkey reviewed preparations for free-trade negotiations and discussed fruit-import links and hazardous-waste management. The meeting set out areas for further engagement; no free-trade agreement or tariff change was announced.
From 6 October 2026 — Daily Brief
Bangladesh has sought to advance preparations for a free-trade agreement with Turkey, with ministers and diplomats also examining fruit imports and cooperation on hazardous industrial waste.
Commerce and Industries Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir discussed the proposals with Turkish Ambassador Ramis Sen at the Industries Ministry in Dhaka on 5 October. The meeting reviewed progress towards starting negotiations, according to ministry accounts.
Muktadir expressed interest in meeting his Turkish counterpart and an investment agency during an upcoming visit. The discussions did not amount to a signed trade agreement or an announcement of tariff reductions.
Bangladesh requested contact details for Turkish fruit-exporting organisations. The Commerce Ministry would pass those details to Bangladeshi businesses to help develop commercial links.
The two sides also explored how Turkey’s specialised treatment, storage and disposal facilities could support the handling of hazardous waste from electronics and ship-breaking industries. The reports described possible cooperation, without announcing an operating arrangement.
The Turkish envoy invited Bangladesh to a ministerial conference under the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation’s economic cooperation committee, known as COMCEC, as well as a halal industry summit and expo. Bangladesh indicated that its commerce minister would attend the main COMCEC conference, with other representatives joining related events.
