Bangladesh has expressed interest in expanding economic and defense ties with South Korea, seeking increased investment and cooperation in several key sectors. State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humainu Kobir conveyed these intentions during meetings with South Korean officials in Seoul on October 2.
Humainu invited South Korean investors to participate in Bangladesh’s planned defense industrial zone and emphasized the need for enhanced cooperation in military training, capacity building, and United Nations peacekeeping operations. The state minister discussed these issues with South Korea’s Vice Minister of National Defense Lee Doo-hee, who signaled willingness to explore collaboration in mutually agreed areas.
During his meeting with South Korea’s First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Park Yoon-joo, Humainu recommended expanding bilateral trade and investment, focusing on a range of industries including semiconductors, electronics, shipbuilding, light engineering, ready-made garments, and information and communications technology (ICT). He welcomed an agreement in principle on the Bangladesh-South Korea Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), expressing hope for its early signing. The minister also highlighted sectors such as agriculture, agro-processing, logistics, digital transformation, skills development, and services, seeking South Korean support to create employment opportunities for Bangladeshi skilled and semi-skilled workers through the Employment Permit System.
Humainu further requested collaboration on climate resilience, infrastructure development, human resource capacity building, technical and vocational education, and digital technologies. He praised South Korea’s existing support in training personnel of Bangladesh’s armed forces, police, and civil defense, and encouraged the expansion of specialized training opportunities. Additionally, he invited South Korea to send military personnel to take part in courses aimed at improving healthcare services in Bangladesh.
The discussions extended to broader diplomatic relations, with Humainu conveying an invitation from Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to South Korean President Lee Jae Myung to visit Bangladesh at a mutually convenient time. Both sides exchanged views on regional and international issues, reaffirming the importance of cooperation within multilateral forums.
In parallel, the Bangladesh ambassador to Japan, Daud Ali, spoke at a seminar underscoring Japan’s long-standing role as a development partner, particularly in healthcare. He outlined Bangladesh’s growing demand for specialized healthcare services, modern hospital infrastructure, diagnostics, and skilled medical personnel. Daud expressed hope that trained Bangladeshi healthcare workers could help alleviate labor shortages in Japan’s aging population sectors, particularly nursing and caregiving.
The ambassador also invited Japanese investors to consider joint ventures in Bangladesh’s pharmaceutical industry, biotechnology, vaccine production, and active pharmaceutical ingredient manufacturing. Presentations by senior Bangladeshi health officials and discussions with Japanese representatives from development agencies and private sector companies highlighted opportunities for future collaboration and investment in Bangladesh’s healthcare sector.
Together, these engagements reflect Bangladesh’s efforts to strengthen economic, defense, and healthcare cooperation with key East Asian partners as it seeks to accelerate development and address emerging national priorities.