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Commerce Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir
Commerce Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir on Saturday stated that business delegations and investors from both India and the United States have shown a keen interest in expanding investments in Bangladesh, submitting several concrete proposals and recommendations to foster a more investment-friendly climate.
Speaking to journalists following a high-level law and order review meeting at the Sylhet Metropolitan Police headquarters in the afternoon, the minister noted that a number of Indian entrepreneurs who recently visited Bangladesh have already committed capital to ongoing projects. Indian business representatives have emphasized the urgent need to make bilateral land ports fully functional, highlighting that restricted operations or closures drive up logistics and raw material procurement expenses. They also proposed establishing a joint task force with Bangladeshi counterparts to channel investments into physical infrastructure, alongside forming a dedicated trust to finance and build out digital infrastructure—initiatives that have been positively received by the government.
Muktadir added that a visiting US trade delegation has likewise expressed strong enthusiasm for local ventures, presenting specific recommendations to enhance the overall business landscape, which are currently under government review. Addressing queries on reciprocal US tariffs, the minister noted that the measures apply globally across multiple nations, adding that the additional 10 percent tariff levied on Bangladeshi goods remains among the lowest comparative baseline rates.
Regarding Bangladesh’s trade deficit of over $27 billion, the minister remarked that import figures exceeding export revenues have remained consistent throughout the nation's post-independence trajectory, a phenomenon common to many expanding global economies. However, he stressed the critical necessity of expanding total two-way trade volumes to match the scale of Bangladesh’s economy, drawing comparisons with Vietnam’s roughly $800 billion bilateral trade volume against Bangladesh's $600 billion.
On municipal security, Muktadir reiterated a firm policy against narcotics, online gambling, and youth gang activities following his discussions with Sylhet Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sarwar Morshed. Later in the day, the minister inspected the proposed 188-acre BSCIC industrial estate site near the Shahparan (R) bypass in South Surma, confirming that approximately 110 net acres would be carved into industrial plots. He also disclosed that the preparation of a Development Project Proposal (DPP) is underway to expand the adjacent bypass corridor into a six-lane highway to serve as an alternative transit route to the primary Dhaka–Sylhet highway.
https://thedailyexpress.news/news/business/1f19e51b-23f7-69c0-8bef-ba7db806f29f