In a significant step towards strengthening\u00a0bilateral economic ties, Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun, executive chairman\u00a0of the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA), has met with Yeo\u00a0Han-koo, trade minister of South Korea, in Seoul to discuss the roadmap for\u00a0finalizing the proposed Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Both sides reiterated their commitment to expediting the CEPA negotiations\u00a0ahead of Bangladesh's graduation from the LDC status, recognizing it as a\u00a0timely opportunity to unlock new channels of Korean investment into\u00a0Bangladesh's fast-transforming economy.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The two leaders engaged in in-depth discussions on enhancing trade,\u00a0investment, and institutional linkages between the two nations, said a press\u00a0release here today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"South Korea has long been a trusted partner of Bangladesh,\" said Chowdhury.\u00a0\"We are keen to accelerate CEPA finalization, which we believe will be a\u00a0catalytic tool to unlock diversified Korean investment in key sectors such as\u00a0electronics, mobility, renewable energy, textiles, and infrastructure.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Chowdhury also assured Minister Yeo that BIDA is actively addressing\u00a0investors' concerns. \"During our visit, we engaged with Korean businesses on\u00a0key enablers and structural bottlenecks,\" he said.
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He went on saying, \"Many of the issues raised - particularly those related to\u00a0customs, remittance, and taxation are already being tackled through our 32-Point Investment Climate Reform Agenda, developed in close collaboration with\u00a0the Chief Adviser's Office.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The South Korean Trade Minister, who in his earlier tenure as a World Bank\u00a0official visited Bangladesh several times and remains an ardent supporter of\u00a0the country's development trajectory, welcomed the progress made.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He reaffirmed Korea's interest in partnering with Bangladesh as it\u00a0transitions into a modern manufacturing and services hub.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The BIDA delegation extended a formal invitation to Minister Yeo to visit\u00a0Bangladesh with a Korean business delegation to witness first-hand the\u00a0significant progress made in infrastructure, digital services, and regulatory\u00a0reforms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With South Korean FDI stock reaching US$1.56 billion across 150+ companies,\u00a0South Korea is currently the fifth largest foreign investor in Bangladesh.\u00a0South Korea also ranked among the top 10 FDI source economies worldwide, with\u00a0US$49 billion in outbound FDI in 2024, according to UNCTAD's World Investment\u00a0Report 2025.
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This places South Korea alongside investment powerhouses such as the United\u00a0States, Japan and China.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Bangladesh delegation led by Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun is in South\u00a0Korea from Oct 20-25 and has hosted a seminar in Seoul with 150+ South Korean\u00a0investors. They also held a series of G2B talks with Korean conglomerates.\u00a0IFC Bangladesh has provided technical cooperation for the tour.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In a significant step towards strengthening\u00a0bilateral economic ties, Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun, executive chairman\u00a0of the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA), has met with Yeo\u00a0Han-koo, trade minister of South Korea, in Seoul to discuss the roadmap for\u00a0finalizing the proposed Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). Both sides reiterated their commitment to expediting the CEPA negotiations\u00a0ahead of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":30711,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,97,93],"tags":[47],"class_list":["post-30710","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bangladesh","category-international","category-nationwide","tag-47"],"yoast_head":"\n