He disclosed the information in written replies to questions in Parliament on Sunday during the fourth session of the 13th Jatiya Sangsad.
Chapainawabganj-1 MP Md Keramat Ali asked whether the commerce ministry had recently taken any bilateral initiatives to expand two-way trade with India and neighbouring countries through major land ports, including Sonamasjid Land Port, and remove barriers to export duties.
In response, the minister said the commerce ministry regularly undertakes various initiatives to expand bilateral trade and remove tariff and non-tariff barriers with India and neighbouring countries.
He said discussions at commerce secretary-level meetings and joint working groups were ongoing to address non-tariff barriers, ensure mutual recognition of product quality and testing certificates, strengthen customs cooperation, improve border infrastructure, facilitate trade and resolve emerging problems quickly.
The 16th meeting of the Joint Working Group on Trade between Bangladesh and India was held in New Delhi on October 8-9, while another meeting at the commerce secretary level is expected to take place in December, he added.
Muktadir said the bilateral trade agreement between Bangladesh and India was signed in 1972 and renewed in 2015 after amendments and revisions. Under the agreement, all products, except 15 categories of goods, including tobacco and alcoholic beverages, are eligible for access to the Indian market.
He also said member countries of the South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) and the Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement (APTA) enjoy duty-free and quota-free market access.
According to the minister’s figures, Bangladesh’s exports to India stood at $1,764.23 million in FY25, while imports from the neighbouring country amounted to $9,624.10 million. This resulted in a trade deficit of $7,859.87 million with India.
Pakistan was the second-largest source of trade deficit among the four countries. Bangladesh exported goods worth $74 million to Pakistan against imports of $755.30 million, leaving a deficit of $681.3 million.
Bangladesh’s exports to Afghanistan amounted to $11.9 million, while imports stood at $21.80 million, resulting in a trade deficit of $10.71 million.
With Bhutan, Bangladesh recorded exports of $14.33 million and imports of $44.10 million, leaving a deficit of $29.77 million.
However, Bangladesh maintained trade surpluses with several other neighbouring countries.
Exports to Nepal amounted to $35.40 million against imports of $5.50 million, resulting in a surplus of $29.90 million.
With Sri Lanka, Bangladesh recorded exports of $82.85 million and imports of $76.60 million, posting a surplus of $6.25 million. Exports to the Maldives stood at $6.35 million, while imports amounted to $3.50 million, leaving a surplus of $2.85 million.
Bangladesh exports $126.35m worth of fruits in FY26
Bangladesh exported fruits worth $126.35 million in the 2025-26 fiscal year, Commerce Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir has told Parliament.
He provided the information in response to a question from Dinajpur-2 MP Md Sadik Riaz during the question-and-answer session on the fifth day of the fourth session of the 13th Jatiya Sangsad.
The session was chaired by Deputy Speaker Barrister Kaiser Kamal.
Sadik Riaz wanted to know which fruits Bangladesh currently exports, the countries receiving those products and whether the government had any specific plans to increase fruit exports in the future.
In his reply, the commerce minister said Bangladesh exports fruits to a wide range of destinations, including the United Arab Emirates, Austria, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, China, Germany, Denmark, France, the United Kingdom, Greece, Hong Kong, Ireland, India, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Malaysia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Oman, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Singapore, the United States and Vietnam.
Outlining initiatives to expand fruit exports, Muktadir said the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) organised a seminar in Chapainawabganj on October 19 under its National Export Training Programme and Annual Performance Agreement.
The seminar focused on the export potential of mangoes and mango-based products, market expansion and diversification of export destinations. It also discussed ways to expand exports of lychees and other agricultural products.