President of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) Mahmud Hasan Khan on Sunday urged Pakistan to import more Bangladeshi products, particularly high-quality jute yarn and life-saving pharmaceuticals, to address the existing trade imbalance and unlock the true potential of bilateral trade between the two nations.
The call was made during a high-level bilateral meeting between Pakistani High Commissioner to Bangladesh Imran Haidar and BGMEA President Mahmud Hasan Khan at the BGMEA office in Uttara, Dhaka.
Highlighting the need to balance bilateral trade, the BGMEA chief pointed out that while Bangladesh imports a significant volume of essential raw materials for its ready-made garment (RMG) sector from Pakistan, Bangladeshi exports to Pakistan remain disproportionately low.
To bridge this trade deficit and strengthen economic cooperation, Mahmud Hasan Khan proposed increasing Bangladesh's imports of required chemicals and dyes from Pakistan for the apparel sector, while urging the envoy to facilitate larger imports of Bangladesh's world-class jute yarn and international-standard pharmaceuticals into Pakistan.
In response, High Commissioner Imran Haidar expressed deep interest in the proposals and assured the BGMEA leadership of taking necessary measures to boost two-way trade.
The Pakistani envoy emphasized the exchange of high-level business delegations to explore market opportunities.
He assured that if a Bangladeshi business delegation comprising RMG and other sector exporters visits Pakistan, the High Commission will organize dedicated Business-to-Business (B2B) meetings and matchmaking sessions with leading Pakistani importers, brands, buyers, and trade bodies.
The meeting also featured detailed discussions on market access strategies, including initial deliberations on formulating an effective bilateral special Free Trade Agreement (FTA) mechanism to protect and sustain trade flows after Bangladesh's smooth graduation from the LDC status under SAFTA.
To make commercial relations more dynamic, the BGMEA president stressed the modernization of logistics, noting that direct maritime transportation currently takes excessive time and requires streamlined shipping solutions.
Furthermore, discussions touched upon long-term human resource and institutional development in the textile and fashion sectors. High Commissioner Haidar emphasized the need for student exchange programs, technology transfer, and joint initiatives between the BGMEA University of Fashion & Technology (BUFT) and top Pakistani fashion and textile institutes.
BGMEA Senior Vice President Enamul Huq Khan, Vice President Md. Reazowan Selim, Directors Shah Rayeed Chowdhury and Mohammad Sohel, BGMEA Secretary General Major General Dr. Md. Shahedul Islam (Retd), along with senior officials from the Pakistan High Commission in Dhaka, were present at the meeting.