Staff Reporter:
Bangladesh and Russia will hold the fifth meeting of their Intergovernmental Commission (IGC) in Dhaka on November 5-6 to strengthen bilateral cooperation in trade, investment, energy, banking, education and technology.
The two-day meeting of the Russia-Bangladesh Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation will bring together senior government officials and business representatives from both countries, according to a statement issued by the Russian embassy in Dhaka yesterday.
The Russian delegation will be led by Ilya Shestakov, Head of the Federal Agency for Fisheries and Chairperson of the Russian side of the Commission, it added.
Senior officials from Russia’s ministries of Energy, Economic Development and Education, along with representatives of other government agencies and business organisations, will also participate in the meeting.
The discussions will cover a broad range of bilateral economic issues, with particular emphasis on expanding trade, strengthening financial and banking cooperation, enhancing energy partnerships and exploring new opportunities in education and information and communication technology (ICT).
The two sides are also expected to examine ways to deepen economic engagement and facilitate greater interaction between businesses of the two countries.
On the sidelines of the commission meeting, the newly established Russia-Bangladesh Business Council and the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) will hold business consultations to explore opportunities for strengthening bilateral commercial ties.
The consultations are expected to provide a platform for business representatives to discuss potential partnerships, investment prospects and avenues for expanding trade between Bangladesh and Russia.
Established in 2017, the Intergovernmental Commission serves as a key institutional mechanism for promoting bilateral cooperation in trade, economic development, science and technology.
The previous meeting of the commission was held virtually in March 2023.
The upcoming session will mark the resumption of in-person meetings of the commission, providing an opportunity for direct engagement between senior officials and business representatives.
The Russian side expressed optimism that the meeting would help establish constructive dialogue with the Bangladesh government, which assumed office following the February 2026 elections.
It is also expected that the discussions will provide fresh momentum to bilateral economic relations and strengthen government-to-government and business-to-business cooperation.
