ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have agreed to deepen cooperation in maritime connectivity, trade, and green tourism as part of a renewed push to strengthen bilateral ties during the fourth round of Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) held in Colombo on Thursday.
The meeting, held after eight years and co-chaired Foreign Secretaries of the both South Asian nations, discussed a wide range of issues spanning trade, investment, agriculture, education, digital economy, defense, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges.
A key highlight of the talks was the proposal to establish direct port connectivity between Colombo and Chattogram, aimed at reducing shipping costs and boosting regional logistics efficiency.
Both sides agreed to expedite discussions on pending legal instruments and trade facilitation measures to strengthen economic engagement and private-sector participation.
In tourism, Sri Lanka proposed collaboration on green tourism initiatives, reflecting the government’s sustainability focus under its new tourism development strategy.
Bangladesh welcomed the idea and suggested the creation of joint Tea and Buddhist tourism circuits, alongside the early signing of a memorandum of understanding on tourism cooperation.
The two sides also reviewed bilateral investment opportunities, with Colombo inviting Bangladeshi investors to participate in Sri Lankan infrastructure, logistics, and tourism projects.
Dhaka, in turn, encouraged Sri Lankan investments in export processing zones (EPZs), special economic zones (SEZs), and industrial parks, particularly in high-potential sectors such as pharmaceuticals, ICT, renewable energy, and agro-processing.
Acknowledging Bangladesh’s USD 200 million financial support during Sri Lanka’s 2022 economic crisis, Colombo expressed gratitude and reaffirmed its commitment to broad-based cooperation.
Dhaka requested Sri Lanka to streamline pharmaceutical product registration, while both sides agreed to convene joint trade and shipping committees to advance long-stalled talks.
Further discussions included collaboration in fisheries, agriculture, youth affairs, education, and health. Bangladesh invited Sri Lankan farmers for exchange visits and sought technical support in deep-sea fishing, while Sri Lanka offered to expand training slots for Bangladeshi nurses.
Bangladesh also proposed establishing a Bangladesh–Sri Lanka Tech Corridor to boost digital innovation partnerships.
Both nations reaffirmed their commitment to regional cooperation through SAARC, BIMSTEC, and IORA, and Dhaka sought Sri Lanka’s support for the safe and dignified repatriation of Rohingya refugees. (Colombo/November 06/2025)
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