Bangladesh has called for faster issuance of business visas for its nationals travelling to India, emphasizing the need for greater ease of doing business. According to reports from Dhaka Tribune, Commerce Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir stressed the need for cooperation between the two countries to introduce longer-term visa arrangements. The minister highlighted that business visas for Bangladeshis should be issued more quickly so that businesspeople can travel to India more frequently, as reported at a meeting with a Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) delegation in Dhaka. The minister emphasized that it was not realistic for regular travellers needing medical, business or other visits to apply for a fresh visa every few months. For the CII, easier visas are an economic infrastructure issue almost as much as a diplomatic one, and if New Delhi and Dhaka eventually want to rebuild confidence, facilitating legitimate movement of businesspeople, engineers, investors and professionals could be among the easiest confidence-building measures available.
Indian and US businesses have expressed interest in investing in Bangladesh and made proposals to improve the country's investment climate, Commerce Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir announced after attending a meeting at the Sylhet Metropolitan Police headquarters. According to the state-run BSS news agency, some Indian businesspeople who recently visited Bangladesh have already invested in the country. Indian business representatives have proposed setting up a task force with Bangladeshi businesses for investment in infrastructure and a trust with local businesses for developing digital infrastructure, with the government welcoming these proposals. A US trade delegation has also expressed interest in investing in Bangladesh and made several proposals for creating a favourable investment climate, which the government is considering. Muktadir's remarks came days after a 14-member Confederation of Indian Industry delegation visited Bangladesh from August 17 to 19 to explore opportunities for expanding bilateral trade, investment and industrial cooperation.
Islam stressed the need to address non-tariff barriers, standards and testing-related difficulties, procedural delays, and infrastructure constraints that affect the smooth movement of goods and services. As reported by Dhaka Tribune, she emphasized that greater predictability and ease of doing business would benefit companies on both sides. The CII delegation, led by its director general Chandrajit Banerjee, proposed forming two joint task forces to expand cooperation in infrastructure and high-tech sectors. One task force would focus on private investment and public-private partnerships in infrastructure and the other would explore cooperation in emerging industries such as semiconductors, green hydrogen, battery storage and data centres. The reference to cooperation involving Bangladesh and India's northeastern states is significant, as Bangladesh's geography gives it enormous potential as a bridge between India's Northeast and the rest of the subcontinent. Improved connectivity through Bangladesh can reduce logistical distances and create opportunities in transport, trade, warehousing, manufacturing and regional supply chains.
Bangladesh is India's second-largest trading partner in Asia after China, with India exporting goods worth $9.73 billion to Bangladesh in the 2025-26 fiscal year (till February), while imports from Bangladesh stood at $1.62 billion, taking bilateral trade to $11.35 billion during the period, according to official data. As of February 2025-26, total bilateral trade turnover stands at approximately $11.35 billion, as reported by Dhaka Tribune. Under the South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA), India provides duty-free and quota-free market facilities for almost all Bangladeshi products. However, Commerce Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir acknowledged that Bangladesh's trade deficit currently exceeds $27 billion, stating that the country had imported more than it exported since independence. He emphasized the need to "increase the overall volume of trade-both exports and imports-many times. The volume of trade should be commensurate with the size of our economy."
Indian businesspeople have expressed interest in making the land ports between Bangladesh and India fully operational, as reported by Commerce Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir. He noted that "they have said that the closure or limited operation of land ports increases the cost of raw materials for Indian businesses." The minister's remarks highlight the practical challenges faced by businesses in cross-border trade, with infrastructure constraints creating additional costs for both countries. The proposals from Indian and US businesses represent a significant step toward addressing these logistical barriers and improving the overall investment climate in Bangladesh.
