National flags of Bangladesh and Bhutan BigstockThis is the first such agreement Bangladesh has signed with any country since independence in 1971Bangladesh on Sunday signed its maiden preferential trade agreement (PTA) with Bhutan to boost bilateral trade between the two countries. The PTA with Bhutan is the first such bilateral preferential trade agreement Bangladesh signed with any country since its independence in 1971. Besides, the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Bangladesh and Bhutan will also be celebrated on this day. The bilateral trade volume reached $49.65 million in the fiscal year 2018-19 out of which Bangladesh’s exports to Bhutan totalled $7.56 million against the imports of $42.09 million. Emphasis on PTA, FTAAs Bangladesh looks forward to graduating out of the least developed country (LDC) status in 2024, it is increasingly emphasizing bilateral preferential trade agreement (PTA) and free trade agreement (FTA) to boost its export earnings in the next three to six years.

Source: Dhaka Tribune December 06, 2020 06:45 UTC