The meeting was held at a local hotel in Dhaka on Saturday (November 22) afternoon.
The meeting discussed in detail the development of bilateral relations and the increase in trade and investment.
Bhutanese Prime Minister Dasho Tshering Tobgay said that Bhutan’s bilateral relations with Bangladesh are very excellent. The increase in trade will add a new dimension to the existing relations between the two countries. Noting that Bangladesh is the only country with which Bhutan has a preferential trade agreement, the Bhutanese Prime Minister said that Bhutan is interested in signing a free trade agreement to increase bilateral trade with Bangladesh.
Tshering Tobgay expressed gratitude to the Bangladesh government for allocating a special economic zone in Kurigram for Bhutan. He said that several activities have already been taken in the special economic zone in Kurigram.
He said that the Bhutanese government has taken the initiative to build a biodiversity city, Gelefu. The proposed city is being built by protecting the rich biodiversity of Bhutan, where advanced and sustainable infrastructure will be built in harmony with the natural environment. Stating that a lot of construction materials will be required for the construction of Gelephu city, he expressed his interest in importing construction materials from Bangladesh.
He also informed about the interest of the Bhutanese government in importing medicines, ceramic products, ready-made garments and electronic goods from Bangladesh.
Urging Bangladeshi tourists to enjoy the natural beauty of Bhutan, he said that while the Bhutanese government has set a Sustainable Development Fee (SDF) of one hundred dollars for tourists from other countries of the world for each night’s stay, it is only fifteen dollars for tourists from Bangladesh and South Asia. At this time, he took this opportunity to call on the government to take steps to make Bangladeshis interested in traveling to Bhutan.
Commerce Advisor Sheikh Bashiruddin recalled that Bhutan was the first country to recognize Bangladesh after independence and expressed gratitude. He said that bilateral relations will get a stronger foundation through increasing trade.
Regarding the free trade agreement, the Trade Advisor said that the issue will be considered seriously in the upcoming Bangladesh-Bhutan secretary-level meeting. During this, he emphasized on more trade visits and exchange of experiences between businessmen of the two countries.
The Trade Advisor said that world-class medicines, ceramic products, ready-made garments, and construction materials are now being produced in Bangladesh. He called on the Bhutanese government to take the opportunity to increase trade volume by importing these products.
Bhutan’s Foreign Affairs and External Trade Minister D.N. Dhungael, Industry, Commerce and Employment Minister Layen Po Namgyel Dorji and Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce Mahbubur Rahman were present in the meeting.
