[🇧🇩] Ties Between Bangladesh & Afghanistan

Date of Event: Jan 20, 2026

Source: https://www.thedailystar.net/business/news/afghanistan-wants-duty-free-bilateral-trade-bangladesh-4085181

Afghanistan wants duty-free bilateral trade with Bangladesh

A deputy minister of Afghanistan, now in Dhaka, met commerce secretary

By Star Business

An Afghan delegation headed by the country’s deputy commerce minister met Bangladesh’s commerce secretary today, expressing hope for duty-free bilateral trade.


Deputy Minister of Commerce and Industry of Afghanistan, Mawlawi Ahmadullah Zahid, made the proposal during a meeting with Commerce Secretary Mahbubur Rahman at the latter’s office in Dhaka.

Zahid led the Afghan delegation of five to six members, said a senior commerce ministry official who asked not to be named.

It was not a formal bilateral meeting where documents or proposals were usually exchanged, the official added.

At the meeting, the Afghan deputy minister said his country seeks duty-free export of nearly 45 products to Bangladesh, including cotton, aiming to expand bilateral trade ties.

At the same time, he offered duty-free import of almost all major exportable commodities from Bangladesh.

Afghanistan considers Bangladesh a major source for RMG products, pharmaceuticals, beverages, confectionery, and packaged spices, Zahid added.

The commerce secretary could not be reached by phone for comments after the meeting.

A businessman involved in exports to Afghanistan said the two countries currently trade 98 products.

In terms of exporting dry food, fruits, stones, saffron, and almonds, Afghanistan may want to capture more of the market in Bangladesh, the businessman added.

Zahid arrived in Dhaka on Sunday as the head of the delegation, aiming to expand trade and economic ties.

A few months ago, another delegation from Afghanistan visited Bangladesh to discuss bilateral trade and investment with senior government officials.​

 

[Saif]

Afghan deputy minister visits Bangladesh at govt’s invitation

For the first time on an official visit to Bangladesh, Afghanistan's Deputy Minister of Industry and Commerce, Ahmadullah Zahid, emphasised enhancing trade between the two countries. As part of strengthening trade relations between Dhaka and Kabul, he requested the establishment of direct...

en.prothomalo.com

Afghan deputy minister visits Bangladesh at govt’s invitation

Diplomatic Correspondent Dhaka
Published: 20 Jan 2026, 22: 47

Ahmadullah Zahid, Afghanistan's Deputy Minister of Industry and Commerce, in Dhaka. Taken from a post by Afghanistan's Ministry of Commerce

For the first time on an official visit to Bangladesh, Afghanistan's Deputy Minister of Industry and Commerce, Ahmadullah Zahid, emphasised enhancing trade between the two countries.

As part of strengthening trade relations between Dhaka and Kabul, he requested the establishment of direct cargo flights between the two nations and called for investment from Bangladesh into Afghanistan.

Officials from the Ministry of Commerce and the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) confirmed this to Prothom Alo.

Ahmadullah Zahid, who has been visiting Bangladesh since last Sunday, has already met with Commerce Secretary Mahbubur Rahman and EPB Vice Chairman Mohammad Hasan Arif.

In addition, yesterday, Monday, he participated in a seminar on trade prospects between the two countries at the Dhaka International Trade Fair.


According to a draft schedule, tomorrow, Wednesday, Afghanistan's Deputy Minister of Industry and Commerce, Ahmadullah Zahid, will visit Square Pharmaceuticals and Renata Pharmaceuticals to learn about importing more pharmaceuticals from Bangladesh.

Yesterday, Afghanistan''s Deputy Minister of Industry and Commerce, Ahmadullah Zahid, met with Commerce Secretary Mahbubur Rahman at his office.

When asked about this, the Commerce Secretary told Prothom Alo on Tuesday evening that they had a brief courtesy discussion with the Afghan Deputy Minister.


They talked about a trade agreement to increase business and trade between the two countries.

The Afghan Deputy Minister also raised the topic of duty-free benefits, expressing interest in importing more pharmaceuticals from Bangladesh. However, matters like duty-free facilities and trade agreements require following a process, which he was informed about.

Regarding the Afghan Deputy Minister's visit and courtesy meeting, the Commerce Secretary mentioned that the meeting was arranged on very short notice. However, he did not specify whether the visit was official.

Conversations with officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and EPB revealed that the Afghan Deputy Minister of Industry and Commerce, Ahmadullah Zahid, is visiting Dhaka with a five-member delegation at the invitation of the Export Promotion Bureau.

This is the first high-level delegation visit from Afghanistan to Dhaka since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021.

EPB's Vice Chairman Mohammad Hasan Arif told Prothom Alo that the Afghan delegation is visiting Bangladesh at EPB's invitation to participate in the Dhaka International Trade Fair.

Currently, pharmaceuticals account for 90 per cent of the bilateral trade between the two countries, with Afghanistan showing interest in importing more pharmaceuticals from Bangladesh.

Last December, the Director-General of the First Political Division of Afghanistan's Foreign Ministry, Mullah Noor Ahmed, visited Square Pharmaceuticals and Beximco Pharmaceuticals.

It was learned that during discussions with Bangladesh officials, the Afghan Deputy Minister proposed initiating cargo flights between the two countries as soon as possible to boost trade.

He stated that fruits would be transported from Kabul to Dhaka, and pharmaceuticals from Bangladesh would be sent to Kabul on return flights. He also requested investment in war-torn Afghanistan.​