Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury has called for the introduction of direct air connectivity between Bangladesh and Uzbekistan to enhance trade, tourism, and people-to-people contact.
He made the call during a meeting with Uzbekistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Jamshid Khodjaev in Samarkand on Monday. The Bangladesh Ambassador to Uzbekistan, Mohammad Monirul Islam, was also present at the meeting.
The Finance Minister is currently leading a Bangladesh delegation to the Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), being taken place in Samarkand on 3-6 May 2026, said a handout.
Highlighting the historical, cultural and religious linkages shared by the people of Bangladesh and Uzbekistan, he underlined the importance of working more closely in comprehensively harnessing prospects and potentials that these two brotherly countries offer in their bilateral landscape, especially in the spheres of trade, connectivity, employment, culture, tourism and people to people contact.
During the meeting, the Finance Minister particularly urged the Uzbek Deputy Prime Minister to resume Uzbek airways on Dhaka-Tashkent route.
He also emphasized on opening an Uzbek diplomatic Mission in Bangladesh for further cementing and deepening overall bilateral collaboration.
He also conveyed sincere thanks and appreciation to the government of Uzbekistan, especially the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev for congratulating the Prime Minister of Bangladesh Tarique Rahman on his assumption to the post of Prime Minister, following the formation of the new Government.
The minister requested for a greater market access of Bangladeshi export items like RMG, Pharmaceuticals and jute products to Uzbek market and sought the Deputy Prime Minister’s support in facilitating Uzbek visas for Bangladeshi business and tourism communities in particular.
Underlining the necessity of exchange of high level political visits, he extended an invitation to the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev to pay a visit to Bangladesh at a mutually convenient time.
The Deputy Prime Minister of Uzbekistan expressed the readiness of his government to engage with Bangladesh more effectively to make the economic partnership dynamic and result oriented.
He stressed the need for early conclusion of the bilateral instruments that have remained pending, more emphatically in areas of trade, agriculture and tourism.
Appreciating Bangladesh’s advancements in textile and pharmaceutical sectors, he assured the Bangladesh Minister of sending a business delegation to explore business and investment opportunities at the earliest.