Bangladesh and Morocco to expand cooperation in trade and investment

Bangladesh and Morocco have agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation in trade, investment, agriculture, skills development and multilateral affairs.

The understanding was reached during a meeting between Shama Obaed Islam and Nasser Bourita in Rabat on Tuesday, according to a press release issued by the Foreign Ministry.

“Under the leadership of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, Bangladesh is eager to deepen engagement with African nations and take its partnership with Morocco to new heights of cooperation, shared prosperity and strategic opportunity,” Shama Obaed said during the meeting.

The two leaders underscored the importance of regular high-level exchanges to further strengthen political ties between the two countries.

Shama Obaed also recalled the historic visit of Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman to Morocco in 1980 and praised Morocco for naming an avenue in Rabat after him.

Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to expanding collaboration in areas including trade and investment, textiles, pharmaceuticals, ceramics, sports, culture, agriculture, education, women’s empowerment, shipbuilding and people-to-people connectivity, alongside enhanced multilateral cooperation.

The two countries also agreed to hold the next round of Foreign Office Consultations in Dhaka at the earliest opportunity to review ongoing cooperation and explore new areas of mutual interest.

Shama Obaed invited Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita to visit Bangladesh at a mutually convenient time.

Later, the state minister held talks with Ryad Mezzour and proposed exchanging business delegations to boost commercial ties between the two nations.

In response, the Moroccan minister expressed interest in sending a business delegation to Bangladesh by the end of 2026.

Highlighting existing agricultural cooperation, Shama Obaed called for stronger government-to-government collaboration to ensure a more reliable phosphate supply chain to support Bangladesh’s agriculture and food security.

She also reiterated Bangladesh’s interest in promoting environmentally friendly jute and jute products in the Moroccan market.

The two sides pledged closer cooperation in innovation, industrial training, information and communication technology, and artificial intelligence, while also discussing the possibility of a Free Trade Agreement to further enhance bilateral trade.

On the same day, Shama Obaed also met Younes Sekkouri.

During the meeting, she highlighted several Bangladesh government initiatives, including the “Family Card” and “Farmers’ Card” programmes, as well as canal re-excavation projects.

The discussions focused on opportunities for cooperation in employment generation, vocational training, skills development, women and youth empowerment, entrepreneurship and the development of small and medium enterprises.

Both sides stressed the importance of closer collaboration through knowledge-sharing, technical exchanges and institutional partnerships.

Sadia Faizunnesa and Abdur Rouf Mondol accompanied the state minister during the meetings.

Shama Obaed is currently visiting Morocco to attend the Second Ministerial Conference on Peacekeeping in a Francophone Environment, scheduled to be held in Rabat today.