Interim government Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus has called for immediate discussions with the European Union to establish a free trade agreement (FTA). He made the appeal during a meeting with Nuria Lopez, Chairperson of the European Chamber of Commerce in Bangladesh (EuroCham), at the state guesthouse Jamuna in Dhaka. EU Ambassador Michael Miller also attended the meeting, where participants discussed enhancing European investment, improving trade relations, and strengthening a business-friendly environment.

Yunus emphasized that Bangladesh must prepare now to maintain duty-free access for its exports, particularly ready-made garments, after the current trade privileges expire. He noted that Bangladesh recently signed an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with Japan, granting duty-free access to over 7,300 products, and intends to pursue similar arrangements with the EU. Lopez supported the FTA initiative, warning that Bangladesh could lose existing benefits after graduating from the least developed country category.

EU Ambassador Miller said the nature of Bangladesh-EU trade relations will change after LDC graduation, expected no earlier than 2029, and confirmed plans for an EU-Bangladesh Business Forum in 2026 to promote investment and technology cooperation.