Bangladeshi High Commissioner Iqbal Hussain Khan has said that the government has eased the issuance of visas for Pakistanis.
Speaking at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Iqbal Hussain Khan said that the Bangladesh government has eliminated the need for clearance from Dhaka for Pakistani Heads of Missions by simplifying the visa process.
He said that increasing trade and investment between the two countries is one of the future priorities for which the cooperation of Lahore Chamber will play an important role, which will help in increasing trade and investment between Pakistan and Bangladesh. It will prove.
He said that Bangladesh is keen to further improve relations with Pakistan which have not been very satisfactory during the last decade.
Iqbal Hussain Khan said that Bangladesh is a large consumer market with a population of 180 million, which Pakistan can benefit from, while Chief Advisor of Bangladesh, Dr. Muhammad Yunus, emphasized the importance of promoting regional cooperation.
He stressed the need for greater cooperation among South Asian countries and emphasized the importance of further activating SAARC to enhance regional trade and cooperation.
The Bangladesh High Commissioner said that both countries have a responsibility to create trade opportunities for the current generation and remove barriers to mutual cooperation.
On the other hand, Lahore Chamber President Mian Abuzar Shad mentioned the trade data and said that bilateral trade between Pakistan and Bangladesh stood at $718 million in the fiscal year 2023-24.
He said that Pakistan’s exports to Bangladesh were $661 million and imports from Bangladesh were $57 million, while Pakistan’s exports to Bangladesh were $314 million in the first 5 months of the fiscal year 2024 (July to November). while imports from Bangladesh stood at $31 million.
Mian Abuzar Shad expressed the desire to increase the volume of bilateral trade to at least 2 billion dollars and requested the two governments and the private sector to take decisions to achieve this goal.
He said that the sectors of information technology, medicines, rice, surgical instruments, prepared foods, auto parts and sports equipment can play an important role in this goal.
Mian Abuzar Shad assured the High Commissioner of Bangladesh that the Lahore Chamber would provide full support in promoting trade and investment between Pakistan and Bangladesh.
He stressed the importance of continued cooperation between the two governments, business communities and diplomatic channels to build a strong economic partnership.