Commerce Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir has called for increased investment from the United Kingdom, particularly in Bangladesh’s tea, fertilizer and ICT sectors.
He made the appeal during a meeting with British High Commissioner Sarah Cooke at his office at the Bangladesh Secretariat in Dhaka on Monday.
According to a Commerce Ministry press release, both sides discussed ways to strengthen existing trade ties and explored new areas for investment cooperation.
The minister said Bangladesh is keen to deepen economic relations with the UK through sustainable and mutually beneficial partnerships.
Highlighting opportunities in Sylhet’s tea industry, he said British investment could help modernise production and unlock the sector’s full potential. He noted that the region’s tea gardens offer strong prospects and could also support employment and tourism growth.
Muktadir also drew attention to challenges in the fertilizer sector, where factories cannot operate year-round due to gas shortages. He suggested that foreign investment, particularly in LPG-based operations, could help ensure continuous production.
He further invited UK investors to explore Bangladesh’s fast-growing information and communication technology (ICT) sector.
High Commissioner Sarah Cooke reaffirmed the UK’s commitment to strengthening its long-standing trade relationship with Bangladesh. She also expressed interest in supporting capacity building for officials involved in the Trade Negotiation Pool under the Commerce Ministry.
The UK envoy showed particular interest in investment opportunities in tea gardens, seafood, leather processing, export diversification and light engineering sectors.
State Minister for Commerce Md. Shariful Alam, Commerce Secretary Mahbubur Rahman and Additional Secretary (Export) Md. Abdur Rahim Khan were present at the meeting.