UK high commissioner discusses investment opportunities with commerce minister
Published: 02 March 2026, 6:57:01
The United Kingdom’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh Sarah Cooke held a meeting with Commerce Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir to discuss strengthening bilateral trade and expanding investment cooperation.
The meeting took place on Monday morning at the Commerce Minister’s Office at the Secretariat in Dhaka.
During the discussion, both sides explored ways to further enhance existing trade ties and identify new sectors with investment potential.
Muktadir said Bangladesh is keen to work with the United Kingdom to ensure mutual benefits through effective and sustainable economic cooperation.
He highlighted the need for British investment in modernizing and expanding production in the tea industry in the Sylhet region, noting that there is significant potential for investment in tea gardens there.
Referring to the UK’s historical involvement in Bangladesh’s tea sector, he said increased investment could create new employment opportunities and contribute to the growth of the tourism industry.
The minister also pointed out that fertiliser factories in Bangladesh cannot operate year-round due to gas shortages.
He stressed the need for foreign investment to enable continuous operations using LPG.
In addition to fertiliser plants, he invited British investors to invest in Bangladesh’s rapidly growing information and communication technology (ICT) sector.
Sarah Cooke reaffirmed the UK’s commitment to advancing the long-standing trade partnership between the two countries.
She expressed interest in supporting capacity-building initiatives for officials involved in the Ministry of Commerce’s trade negotiation pool.
Cooke also showed particular interest in investment opportunities in Sylhet’s tea gardens, seafood, leather processing, export diversification, and light engineering industries, stating that British investors are keen to explore these sectors.
State Minister for Commerce Md Shariful Alam, Commerce Secretary Mahbubur Rahman, and Additional Secretary (export) Md Abdur Rahim Khan were also present at the meeting.
