British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Sarah Cooke met with Commerce Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir at his office at Bangladesh Secretariat today. Photo: PID

DHAKA, March 2, 2026 (BSS) - Commerce Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir today 
sought enhanced investment from the UK especially in Bangladesh's tea, 
fertilizer and ICT sectors.

Muktadir made the request when British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Sarah 
Cooke met him at his office at Bangladesh Secretariat in the capital today.

During the meeting, both sides emphasized strengthening existing trade ties 
between the two countries and explored potential areas for new investment, 
said a Commerce Ministry press release.

The Commerce Minister said Bangladesh is keen to work with the United Kingdom 
to ensure mutual benefits through effective and sustainable economic 
cooperation.

He highlighted the need for British investment to modernize and boost 
production in the tea industry in Sylhet, noting that the region's tea 
gardens hold significant investment potential. Referring to the UK's 
historical involvement in Bangladesh's tea sector, he said increased 
investment would generate more employment opportunities and thus contribute 
to the development of tourism.

Muktadir also pointed out that fertilizer factories in Bangladesh cannot 
operate year-round due to gas shortages. He stressed the need for foreign 
investment to enable year-round operations through the use of LPG. In this 
regard, he invited British investors to invest in fertilizer plants as well 
as in the country's rapidly growing information and communication technology 
(ICT) sector.

High Commissioner Sarah Cooke expressed her commitment to advancing the long-
standing trade partnership between the two countries. She also showed 
interest in supporting capacity building of officials associated with the 
Ministry of Commerce's Trade Negotiation Pool.

The UK envoy expressed particular interest in investing in Sylhet's tea 
gardens, seafood, leather processing, export diversification and light 
engineering industries, saying British investors are keen to explore 
opportunities in these sectors.

State Minister for Commerce Md. Shariful Alam, Commerce Secretary Mahbubur 
Rahman and Additional Secretary (Export) Md. Abdur Rahim Khan were present at 
the meeting.