ISDS Case Map
Bangladesh
While Bangladesh Commerce Adviser enthusiastically touted a potential FTA with Thailand as a game-changer for maritime and logistics connectivity—aiming to supercharge bilateral trade and investment—such optimism warrants scrutiny amid Bangladesh's persistent economic hurdles like infrastructure bottlenecks and regulatory red tape.
Bangladesh begins a critical gap analysis of its economic strengths for aligning its trade policies with protocols of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) for joining the world's largest trade bloc.
The S Alam arbitration should therefore be seen not simply as a legal challenge but as a policy signal.
The principal negotiations on the US-Bangladesh reciprocal tariff reduction agreement concluded at the end of July, with the process expected to be promptly completed once the White House grants its approval.
Mohammed Saiful Alam, founder and chairman of the controversial business conglomerate S Alam Group, has filed an international arbitration claim alleging that Dhaka's asset recovery drive has cost his family's business "hundreds of millions" of dollar.
The interim government of Bangladesh has launched an initiative to sign a free trade agreement (FTA) with the European Union, Bangladesh's largest export destination, in a bid to safeguard privileged access to its market after graduating from the least developed country (LDC) category in 2026.
The United States is waging a trade and investment war with various countries in the name of reciprocal tariffs, as it tries to pressure importing countries to curb China’s growing export growth.
The Bangladeshi government has begun preparing for FTA negotiations, with a draft framework ready and formal talks expected to start in mid-2025. They highlight Malaysia’s role as a gateway to ASEAN’s 660 million people.
Bangladesh is on the cusp of signing its first-ever Economic Partnership Agreement with Japan, as the country prepares to graduate from Least Developed Country status in 2026.
Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay has expressed interest in signing a free trade agreement with Bangladesh and in linking the special economic zones of the two countries.
