Bangladesh, Japan set to finalise economic partnership deal by year-end

Bangladesh is on the cusp of signing its first-ever Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with Japan. a historic milestone that officials say will “open doors of possibilities” for trade, investment and industrial transformation as the country prepares to graduate from Least Developed Country (LDC) status in 2026. The Ministry of Commerce confirmed that negotiations concluded successfully during a 10-day round in Tokyo from September 3-12, marking the end of nearly a decade of talks that began with a joint feasibility study in 2015. With only internal procedural steps remaining, the agreement is expected to be formally signed before the end of 2025. “This EPA is not just a trade deal, it’s a strategic lifeline,” said Firoz Uddin Ahmed, Joint Secretary of...