Ministry of Trade Industry and Resources

The second round of official negotiations on a Korea–Bangladesh Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) will take place in Dhaka, Bangladesh, from January 26 to 29, 2026. The talks come as interest grows in expanding economic cooperation with promising emerging markets amid shifting global and domestic trade conditions.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR, Minister JK Kim) said the talks will bring together delegations of around 60 officials from both countries. The Korean delegation will be led by Son Ho-young, Director of the Trade Agreement Coordination Division, while the Bangladeshi delegation will be headed by Ayesha Akther, Additional Secretary and Head of the Foreign Trade Agreement Wing at the Ministry of Commerce.

Korea and Bangladesh launched CEPA negotiations in November 2024 and held the first round of talks in August 2025, exchanging views on the draft agreement text and identifying key issues. In the second round, the two sides plan to further advance the negotiations by deepening discussions across 13 areas of agreement—including goods market access, services, rules of origin, and economic cooperation—and by actively exploring ways to narrow remaining differences.

Director Son stated that "Bangladesh is a rapidly growing emerging market in South Asia and the world’s eighth most populous country." He noted that "Concluding a CEPA with Bangladesh would support Korean companies' expansion into the region," and added that "Korea will engage constructively in the negotiations with a view to an early conclusion."