A virtual meeting on Bangladesh–Bhutan Trade & Investment Cooperation was hosted by the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) on 14 September 2026. Business leaders and officials from both nations gathered to map out strategies for elevating bilateral trade ties between Bangladesh and Bhutan.

The meeting aimed to update the existing MoU between the FBCCI and the Bhutan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI), and to define the strategic plan for streamlining the Bangladesh-Bhutan Joint Business Council.

Opening the session, FBCCI Administrator Mr. Md. Fazlul Hoque called for direct business to business engagements between Bangladesh and Bhutan, rather than relying solely on formalities like MoU. Acknowledging communication gaps, non-tariff barriers, and limited flight options, he emphasized maximizing opportunities in key sectors like apparel, pharmaceuticals, ceramics, jute products, furniture, and tourism.

The FBCCI leader invited Bhutanese trade counterparts to visit Bangladesh, with the offering of personally arranging factory tours and business matchmaking. Mr. Hoque advocated for physical visit, recent contacts on emails and WhatsApp, to achieve tangible results within the next few months.

Speaking on the mechanisms of the Joint Business Council (JBC), the President of Bhutan Chamber of Commerce & Industry (BCCI) Mr. Tandy Wangchuk proposed establishing a mixed committee comprising private sector members, government officials, and key embassy representatives to identify and resolve trade bottlenecks. He also highlighted the need for digitalizing and streamlining the Letter of Credit (LC) process in Bangladesh for Bhutanese businesses, noting that greater use of digital procedures could help reduce processing time, minimize administrative delays, and facilitate smoother cross-border business transactions.

Bangladeshi Ambassador to Bhutan H.E Ms. Maleka Parveen, ndc, outlined key steps to elevate bilateral economic engagement. Reaffirming full institutional support from the Bangladesh Embassy in Thimphu and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dhaka, she invited an FBCCI delegation to visit Bhutan. The Ambassador specifically highlighted the immense potential of the Gelephu Mindfulness City, a Special Administrative Region (SAR), the project initiated by His Majesty the King of the Kingdom of Bhutan, urging business leaders to engage from its inception.

To materialize the bilateral business & trade opportunities ambitions, Mrs. Parveen called for immediate action to dismantle trade barriers and to expand cooperation and facilitate ports. She priorities on operationalizing the Joint Business Council (JBC), resolving Cargo Truck transit issues, and expanding the PTA to FTA. She also emphasized utilizing Mongla Port, eliminating payment bottlenecks, and strengthening banking cooperation for seamless execution.

The session also featured a detailed presentation by FBCCI Secretary General Mr. Md. Alamgir titled "Bangladesh-Bhutan Trade & Investment Cooperation: Challenges & Way Forward," which set the stage for actionable economic cooperation between the two friendly neighbors. He emphasized the withdrawal of the Sustainable Development Fee (SDF) for the businessmen visiting Bhutan. Mr. Alamgir further noted, transit through India is granted to Bhutanese cargo trucks reaching the Bangladesh border, similar access for Bangladeshi trucks bound for Bhutan is restricted. Against this backdrop, he strongly emphasized the urgency of a tripartite initiative by Bangladesh, Bhutan, and India.

Among others, Ms. Tshering Pem from Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade, Bhutan; Mr. Dawa Tshering, Minister Counselor (Trade), Royal Bhutanese Embassy in Dhaka; Mr. Nayeem Ehtesham, Assistant Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bangladesh; and Ms. Rabeya Begum, First Secretary, Embassy of Bangladesh in Bhutan, were joined the meeting.