Commerce Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir on Monday urged the United Kingdom to invest in modernising Bangladesh’s tea industry, particularly in the Sylhet region, to enhance production and create employment.

Muktadir made the call during a bilateral meeting with British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Sarah Cooke at his office in Dhaka.

The meeting focused on strengthening existing trade ties between the two countries and exploring new avenues for investment cooperation.

The Commerce Minister said Bangladesh is keen to work with the UK to ensure mutual benefits through effective and sustainable economic engagement.

“UK investment is needed to modernise and increase production in Sylhet’s tea industry. There is huge potential for investment in tea gardens in the region,” he said, noting that the UK has past experience of investing in Bangladesh’s tea sector.

Increased investment would generate employment and contribute to the growth of tourism, minister added.

Referring to the country’s fertiliser sector, Muktadir said many fertiliser factories cannot operate year-round due to gas shortages. He stressed the need for foreign investment to enable the operation of fertiliser plants throughout the year using LPG.

He also invited British investors to explore opportunities in Bangladesh’s rapidly expanding information and communication technology (ICT) sector alongside fertiliser production.

High Commissioner Sarah Cooke reaffirmed the UK’s commitment to advancing its long-standing trade partnership with Bangladesh.

She expressed interest in supporting capacity-building initiatives for officials involved in the Ministry of Commerce’s trade negotiation pool.

The British envoy also showed particular interest in investment opportunities in Sylhet’s tea gardens, seafood, leather processing, export diversification and light engineering industries, saying UK investors are keen to engage in these sectors.

State Minister for Commerce Md Shariful Alam, Commerce Secretary Mahbubur Rahman and Additional Secretary (Export) Md Abdur Rahim Khan were present at the meeting.