Bangladesh seeks to strengthen its ties with Uzbekistan

Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury held talks with Uzbekistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Jamshid Khodjaev in Samarkand on Tuesday.

According to a message received today, Khosru is in Samarkand to lead Bangladesh’s delegation at the annual meeting of the Board of Governors of the Asian Development Bank, taking place from May 3–6, 2026.

Bangladesh’s Ambassador to Uzbekistan, Mohammad Monirul Islam, also attended the meeting.

During the discussion, the finance minister conveyed Bangladesh’s sincere appreciation to the Uzbek government, particularly President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, for congratulating Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on assuming office following the formation of the new government.

Highlighting the shared historical, cultural, and religious ties between the peoples of Bangladesh and Uzbekistan, he emphasized closer cooperation in key areas such as trade, connectivity, employment, culture, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges.

Khosru urged Uzbekistan to consider establishing direct air connectivity between the two countries, including resuming flights on the Dhaka–Tashkent route. He also stressed the importance of opening an Uzbek diplomatic mission in Bangladesh to further strengthen bilateral relations.

He called for greater market access for Bangladeshi exports—particularly readymade garments, pharmaceuticals, and jute products—and sought support in easing visa procedures for Bangladeshi businesspeople and tourists.

Emphasizing the need for high-level political exchanges, the finance minister invited President Mirziyoyev to visit Bangladesh at a mutually convenient time.

In response, Deputy Prime Minister Khodjaev expressed Uzbekistan’s readiness to deepen engagement with Bangladesh and make the economic partnership more dynamic and results-oriented. He underscored the importance of finalizing pending bilateral agreements in trade, agriculture, and tourism.

Praising Bangladesh’s progress in the textile and pharmaceutical sectors, he also assured that Uzbekistan would soon send a business delegation to Bangladesh to explore investment and trade opportunities.