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Bangladesh and Turkmenistan official delegations attending the bilateral political consultations in Ashgabat.
Turkmenistan has expressed strong interest in supporting Bangladesh's energy security framework through resource supply and petrochemical cooperation, as both nations agreed to significantly broaden bilateral engagement across trade, investment, energy, agriculture, and high-level diplomatic channels.
The development materialized during formal bilateral political consultations held in the Turkmen capital of Ashgabat on Saturday, according to an official press release issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dhaka today.
The diplomatic consultations were co-chaired by Ambassador Dr. M. Nazrul Islam, Secretary (Bilateral—East and West) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, leading the Bangladesh delegation, and Ahmet Gurbanov, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan, heading the Turkmen side.
Both delegations conducted an extensive, panoramic review of bilateral ties, identifying substantial untapped economic potential and agreeing to assign top priority to expanding trade, cross-border investment, and institutional economic links.
Turkmenistan, which holds the world's fourth-largest natural gas reserves alongside extensive crude oil deposits, formally conveyed its readiness to assist Bangladesh in reinforcing its domestic energy security architecture. The discussions encompassed broader collaborations in petrochemicals, agricultural modernization, and chemical fertilizers, with Ashgabat offering to supply fertilizers directly to Bangladesh to support national agricultural production.
In return, the Bangladesh delegation urged Turkmenistan to diversify and scale up its imports of Bangladeshi manufactured goods, placing special emphasis on premium jute and diversified jute products, world-class ceramic tableware, light engineering machinery, and semiconductors.
Highlighting Bangladesh’s status as a global leader in readymade garment (RMG) manufacturing and Turkmenistan’s position as a major producer of high-grade raw cotton, both sides agreed to establish strategic industrial partnerships across the textile and apparel value chain. Furthermore, taking into account Bangladesh’s advanced pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity and international regulatory compliance, Turkmenistan showed keen interest in importing generic medicines and collaborating in healthcare sectors.
To institutionalize long-term bilateral momentum, Dhaka and Ashgabat agreed to formulate a comprehensive "Programme of Action: 2027–2029." This strategic roadmap envisions finalizing several critical bilateral treaties and memorandums of understanding, including frameworks for trade and economic cooperation, cultural and academic exchanges, tourism promotion, reciprocal visa exemptions for diplomatic and official passport holders, avoidance of double taxation, mutual investment promotion and protection agreements, industrial development partnerships, and institutional cooperation between their respective foreign service academies.
Under this proposed action framework, both nations committed to facilitating frequent interactions between their private sectors and apex chambers of commerce. Bangladesh formally invited Turkmen investors and sovereign enterprises to explore lucrative manufacturing opportunities within its special economic zones and high-tech parks. Both sides also deliberated on constituting a dedicated Joint Working Group on Trade and Economic Cooperation to monitor bilateral progress.
The delegations emphasized the necessity of regular high-level reciprocal visits and proposed establishing a Bangladesh-Turkmenistan Parliamentary Friendship Group to promote continuous legislative and policy exchanges. To strengthen grassroots people-to-people bonds, the sides agreed to encourage educational and cultural exchanges involving youth groups, athletic delegations, university students, and cultural troupes. Additionally, Bangladesh explored expanding structured employment channels for its skilled and semi-skilled workforce within the Turkmen development sector.
On regional and multilateral fronts, Dhaka and Ashgabat reaffirmed their resolve to coordinate closely at international forums, including the United Nations, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM). Bangladesh expressed appreciation to Turkmenistan for backing its candidature for the Presidency of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). Turkmenistan, in turn, reiterated its steadfast diplomatic support for Bangladesh concerning the Rohingya humanitarian crisis.
In a separate bilateral engagement on the same day, the Bangladesh delegation led by Dr. M. Nazrul Islam called on Turkmenistan's Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Rashid Meredov.
Foreign Minister Meredov extended warm felicitations to Bangladesh's Foreign Minister Dr. Khalilur Rahman on his election as the President of the 81st Session of the UNGA and formally invited him to pay an official visit to Turkmenistan. Expressing his own eagerness to visit Dhaka shortly, Meredov stressed that exchanges of high-level delegations, particularly at the highest political echelon, remain essential to unlocking the full potential of bilateral relations.
During their discussion, the Turkmen foreign minister and the Bangladeshi delegates underscored the importance of implementing pragmatic, result-oriented bilateral initiatives under the 2027–2029 Action Plan, covering trade, investment, energy, food systems, and climate security, alongside intensified exchanges among researchers, academics, students, and cultural practitioners.
Both sides agreed that structured institutional dialogues are vital for monitoring implementation and decided to convene the next round of political consultations in Dhaka at a mutually convenient date.
The meetings were attended by Bangladesh Ambassador to Türkiye (concurrently accredited to Turkmenistan) M. Amanul Haq, Foreign Ministry Director General (East Europe and CIS) S. M. Mahbubul Alam, and Turkmenistan's Director of the Asia-Pacific Department Gurbandurdy Saparov, along with other senior diplomats from both governments.
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