Nepal wants deeper ties with Bangladesh: Envoy

Nepalese Ambassador to Bangladesh Ghanashyam Bhandari on Sunday underscored the importance of boosting connectivity and cultural and touristic exchanges to deepen the relations between the two countries at the people-to-people level.He also stressed the need for working together on regional and multilateral platforms, particularly in areas including SDGs, climate change, migration, disaster preparedness and peacekeeping.

Speaking at a roundtable discussion in Dhaka titled 'Bangladesh-Nepal Relations: A Renewed Outlook' jointly organised by the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) and the Nepal Economic Forum (NEF), he shed light on the ongoing initiatives and suggested ways to enhance bilateral economic partnership.

CPD Executive Director Dr Fahmida Khatun and Chair, Nepal Economic Forum Sujeev Shakya, among others, spoke at the event.

The Ambassador highlighted the progress made so far in Bangladesh-Nepal ties and called for deeper collaboration in sectors such as trade, investment, energy, education and people-to-people connections.

Commending CPD and NEF for their collaboration in fostering dialogue, generating knowledge and ultimately promoting bilateral cooperation, the Ambassador urged them to continue their research efforts aimed at promoting a robust economic partnership between the two countries.

The discussion focused on three thematic pillars -- strengthening bilateral trade relations, enhancing people-to-people connectivity and tourism and promoting policy and regulatory harmonisation.

This roundtable aimed to identify strategic bottlenecks, build on previous milestones and propose actionable pathways to deepen economic, institutional and cultural ties between Bangladesh and Nepal. It followed the successful dialogue held in Kathmandu on 13 June 2025.

Despite geographical proximity and long-standing diplomatic ties dating back to 1972, the bilateral relationship between Bangladesh and Nepal remains underutilised, particularly in the areas of economic cooperation, institutional collaboration and people-to-people connectivity, according to the CPD.

As both countries prepare to graduate from Least Developed Country (LDC) status in 2026, there is a renewed urgency to deepen strategic engagement, address trade and transit barriers and explore new avenues of cooperation, it said.

Discussions explored how to overcome tariff and non-tariff barriers, facilitate digital financial connectivity, reduce logistical costs and enable mutually beneficial sectoral trade, particularly in agriculture, energy, and information technology.

The dialogue also addressed the untapped export potential, especially in high-value products such as Nepali cardamom and Bangladeshi readymade garments.

Besides, the session explored opportunities to promote cross-border investment, especially in areas such as renewable energy, manufacturing, food processing and digital services, and identified policy actions to encourage joint ventures, enhance investment facilitation.