Bangladesh has begun moving towards a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement with Oman, aiming to narrow the bilateral trade deficit, lift exports and widen investment cooperation.
Bangladesh has proposed a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with Oman, Commerce Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir said at a meeting with Oman’s ambassador in Dhaka on 13 October 2026.
The minister met Ambassador Jameel bin Haji bin Ismail Al Balushi at the Ministry of Commerce, according to a statement from the ministry. He said Dhaka wanted to turn its long-standing friendly ties with Muscat into an effective economic partnership by removing trade barriers, identifying new investment opportunities and building direct links between businesses.
Muktadir described Oman, a key member of the Gulf Cooperation Council, as a promising trade and investment partner. A CEPA, he said, could open new avenues for trade, draw investment and deepen economic cooperation.
The ambassador drew on Oman’s experience of concluding an economic partnership agreement with India and suggested a similar arrangement with Bangladesh. The minister stressed that talks should proceed based on the necessary technical preparations and a feasibility study.
The ambassador pointed Bangladeshi entrepreneurs to investment opportunities at Oman’s ports of Sohar, Duqm and Salalah, as well as its special economic zones. These facilities, he said, could help Bangladeshi firms expand exports to the Middle East, Africa and other international markets.
Both sides discussed forming a Bangladesh-Oman Joint Business Council with the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry and the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
