Trade Advisor Sheikh Bashiruddin said, We are trying to connect liberally with different countries to increase trade diversity and capacity. We have worked with our Pakistani counterparts on business opportunities in terms of sales growth and increasing the capacity to import at competitive prices.
He said these things at a program titled “Meeting with Jam Kamal Khan and Sheikh Bashiruddin” organized by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry at the hall room of the World Trade Center Chittagong in Chittagong on Friday (August 22, 2025) afternoon.
Sheikh Bashiruddin said, “We are working on many issues beyond increasing trade, increasing the capacity to import and export, and beyond these sectors. I hope that the combined strength of all businessmen in Bangladesh will lead to business growth.
Pakistan’s Commerce Minister said, “There is a plan to create a commercial roadmap between the two countries,” said Jam Kamal Khan, adding, “We are thinking of creating a trade roadmap for the next few years. Which sectors to focus on, where investment will come, which sectors will be important for export-import—all these will come up in that roadmap. A draft in this regard will be prepared only after the signing of the Joint Working Group.”
Stating that the global economic trend is changing rapidly, he said, “We have a golden opportunity in front of us. If we can create a proper business roadmap, then definitely trade and commerce will progress. We have to prepare for where we want to be in the next five years, in which sector we want to take our industry. With the help of new technology AI (Artificial Intelligence), everything is changing not in years, but in hours. So we have to be ready. Food, agriculture, manufacturing, trade, fish, seafood, service sector, people-to-people connection, healthcare—these are our priority sectors.” Leather, footwear, ready-made garments; we are strong in these too. Pakistan is producing wheat, rice and supplying many more. So I think there can be great cooperation here.
Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan said that there is interest in communication among Pakistani businessmen, but this is not possible without air connectivity. We will try our best to finalize direct flights from Pakistan to Bangladesh and from Bangladesh to Pakistan by the end of this year. Once direct flights are started between the two countries, everything including people-to-people communication, business connections, and goods transportation will become easier.
The program was presided over by the administrator of the chamber, Muhammad Anwar Pasha. BSRM Chairman Ali Hussain Akbar Ali, Bangladesh Freight Forward Association Senior Vice President Amirul Islam Chowdhury, former director of the chamber, Amjad Hossain Chowdhury, among others, delivered speeches. Divisional Commissioner Md. Ziauddin delivered the closing speech.
During the meeting, the business leaders called for increasing trade between the two countries through the introduction of direct air and sea freight services between Chittagong and Karachi, and cooperation in the shipbuilding sector. They expressed the view that this would strengthen trade relations between the two countries and reduce the trade deficit.
