Bangladesh and Singapore have committed to finalising a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) by the end of next year, as discussed during the fourth Bangladesh-Singapore Foreign Office Consultations held in Singapore today

FBCCI chief meets US embassy's commercial counselor

I am not ruling out the possibility of Bangladesh being granted a place in the GSP+. I would rather argue that we need to also prepare for a time when we can stand on our own two feet as far as international trade is concerned. To do this, I believe we now need to make faster moves on bilateral Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) and also preferential trading agreements (PTAs) with some of our existing trading partners, where we can negotiate mutually gainful benefits and opportunities. It is a new game that our government and businesses must start preparing for.

Dhaka and Colombo sign one agreement and 13 memorandums of understanding (MoU) to boost up cooperation between the two countries in the areas of economy, agriculture, shipping, higher education, information and technology and media.

BIMSTEC is no longer a member-driven organisation, and in this context, the Secretariat becomes vital in driving the organisation.

Many laypersons may not be aware that what is typically touted as a 'FTA' has often much less to do with free trade and more to do with preferential trade.