Bangladesh, Lithuania eye to deepen trade and investment ties through tech cooperation

Bangladesh and Lithuania have expressed interest in expanding bilateral trade and investment by prioritising information technology, cybersecurity and fintech, with both sides seeing significant potential for cooperation in technology-driven sectors despite currently limited trade.

The issue was discussed at a meeting between Bangladesh Commerce Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir and Lithuania’s non-resident Ambassador to Bangladesh Diana Mickeviciene at the Commerce Ministry in Dhaka on Sunday.

Commerce Ministry Secretary Md Ataur Rahman Khan was also present.

Muktadir said Bangladesh and Lithuania have considerable scope to broaden their economic partnership, highlighting Bangladesh’s growing ICT sector, skilled young workforce and expanding freelance community as potential areas of interest for Lithuanian technology companies.

He said Lithuanian businesses could gain strategic advantages by using Bangladesh as a base to expand their operations into the wider South Asian market.

The minister also highlighted Bangladesh’s investment opportunities, saying policy facilities are in place to allow foreign investors to repatriate capital and profits, creating a stable and investment-friendly environment.

Mickeviciene said Lithuania has strong expertise in laser technology, GovTech and fintech and expressed her country’s interest in sharing experience and technology to support Bangladesh’s digital transformation and technology infrastructure.

She stressed the potential for partnerships between public and private-sector institutions in cybersecurity, digital innovation and financial technology, saying such cooperation could open new economic opportunities for both countries.

The two sides also discussed increasing business-to-business contacts, pursuing joint ventures in technology-oriented sectors and taking swift measures to strengthen trade and investment cooperation.