Play store
The 16th meeting of the Bangladesh-India Joint Working Group on Trade begins in New Delhi today (Thursday), with the two-day talks scheduled to conclude on Friday.
Bangladesh is expected to raise several bilateral trade issues, including trade barriers, anti-dumping duties on Bangladeshi jute products and complications at land ports.
The two sides are also likely to discuss the longstanding trade deficit and ways to facilitate the movement of goods between the neighbouring countries.
Bangladesh will also raise issues related to non-tariff barriers and rail freight.
However, the much-discussed Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) is not on Bangladesh’s agenda for the meeting.
A 10-member Bangladeshi delegation, led by Commerce Ministry Additional Secretary Ayesha Akther, is attending the meeting.
The talks are taking place after a three-year gap, amid efforts to restore regular institutional engagement between the two countries.
The previous meeting of the working group was held in Dhaka in September 2023.
According to National Board of Revenue data, Bangladesh exported goods worth $1.75 billion to India in fiscal 2025-26, while its imports from India stood at $10.96 billion. India is Bangladesh’s second-largest source of imports after China.
The meeting is primarily a platform for discussion, and no immediate final decisions are expected on the issues raised.
