Bangladesh and Singapore reiterated their commitment on Monday (April 14) to finalize the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) 2026 during the Fourth Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) between the two countries, held in Singapore.

The two countries also agreed to work towards concluding the Agreement on Customs Cooperation, the Revised Protocol for the Avoidance of Double Taxation, the Treaty on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters, and the MoU on Cooperation in the Field of Tourism.

According to a press release last night, Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Md Jashim Uddin and Singapore Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Luke Goh led their respective sides.

During the FOC, Bangladesh and Singapore reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral ties further and expanding cooperation in emerging areas.

The two sides held detailed discussions on inter-alia, trade and investment, power and energy, connectivity, digital economy, health, agriculture, waste management, tourism, and human resource development. Regional and global issues were also discussed.

Jashim Uddin highlighted Bangladesh’s reputation as a reliable source of high-quality and competitively priced products such as ready-made garments, pharmaceuticals, leather goods, ceramics, jute products, and footwear.

The Bangladesh foreign secretary urged the Singaporean side to encourage the businesspeople to engage more in these sectors so as to achieve a more balanced trade relationship.

Recognizing Singapore as one of the top investors in Bangladesh, he invited more Singaporean investment, particularly in the energy sector and Economic Zones of Bangladesh.

The discussions also focused on prospective collaboration in agricultural technology, agri-logistics, contract farming, and tourism infrastructure.

Both sides acknowledged the remarkable contributions of Bangladeshi nationals currently working in Singapore and discussed future cooperation in human resource development, including training and skill enhancement initiatives.

Foreign Secretary also sought Singapore’s support in developing a Waste-to-Energy Plant to strengthen sustainable energy generation in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh expressed its appreciation to Singapore for supporting its bid to become an ASEAN Sectoral Dialogue Partner and expressed interest in joining the ASEAN Free Trade Agreement and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

Regional issues, including climate change, migration, and developments in South and Southeast Asia, also came up for discussion.

Bangladesh's Foreign Secretary invited his Singaporean counterpart to visit Dhaka for the next round of foreign office consultation.

—BSS