Business Desk :
Bangladesh and Malaysia have expressed confidence that continued collaboration will further strengthen bilateral relations and bring meaningful benefits for both nations, particularly through enhanced trade, investment, and industrial partnerships.
Bangladesh High Commissioner to Malaysia Manjurul Karim Khan Chowdhury held a meeting with Saw Seong Ho, Chairman of the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM), Johor Branch, and other committee members recently to discuss ways of deepening economic cooperation between the two friendly countries, according to a message received here reports BSS.
During the meeting, both sides discussed expanding bilateral trade and investment opportunities, focusing on areas such as industrial collaboration, joint ventures, and business-to-business linkages.
The High Commissioner invited the Federation to participate in the upcoming “Global Sourcing Expo 2025” to be held in Dhaka from December 1-3, underscoring the event’s potential to foster direct engagement between Bangladeshi and Malaysian enterprises.
The FMM leaders expressed keen interest in exploring joint ventures in Bangladesh’s ready-made garment sector and shared plans to visit Bangladesh with a business delegation in the near future.
Among others, FMM Vice Chairman Gerard Sanker, Chan Chee Meng, Committee Members Michael Lok and Jason, Deputy High Commissioner of Bangladesh Mosammat Shahanara Monica, and First Secretary (Commercial) Pranab Kumar Ghosh attended the meeting.
Meanwhile, despite strong diplomatic and economic ties, Bangladeshi exporters continue to face steep tariff and non-tariff barriers in the Malaysian market, constraining trade growth and widening the bilateral imbalance.
While regional competitors such as India and Pakistan enjoy duty-free or reduced-tariff access under bilateral agreements, Bangladeshi products are subject to import duties of up to 30 percent.
EPB data show that the trade deficit between the countries stands at over $2 billion, in favour of Malaysia. While Bangladesh exports only $200-250 million, it imports over $2.5 billion from the Southeast Asian country.
