By Imtiaz Ahmed and Samia Tabassum
The interest of the business groups in Bangladesh to increase economic engagement with Afghanistan is expected to rise as the BNP government has been running the country since February 17, 2026, business leaders and policy-makers said
Since the ungracious departure of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on August 5, 2024 through mass movement, engineered by the students, the interest of the business groups in Bangladesh to increase economic engagement with Afghanistan has increased, said a businessman.
The Awami League government did not see positively the meeting with Pakistani and Afghan businessmen during their 17-year tenure and restricted visas of the citizens of two countries, sources said.
The data of the Export Promotion Bureau of Bangladesh showed that Bangladesh’s exports to Afghanistan, though not significant, have been increasing over the last 2/3 years.
Though Afghanistan has not been in the radar of leading businessmen and exporters, small business leaders see the prospect of 100 million US dollars with the South Asian country in the next couple of years.
According to available sources, the trade between Bangladesh and Afghanistan is hovering at some 30.00–35.00 million US dollars.
As Bangladesh has planned to increase engagement with Pakistan, KSA and Turkey in the coming days, businesses see high prospects of increased trade with Afghanistan, said a business leader.
Bangladesh exported goods worth 13 million US dollars (12805788.94) to Afghanistan during 2025-26 fiscal year, according to Export Promotion bureau (EPB)
Bangladesh exported goods worth 11 million US dollars (11,094,346.24 US dollars) to Afghanistan during the July-June period of the 2024-25 fiscal year, according to data of Export Promotion Bureau (EPB)
Bangladesh ’s export to Afghanistan recorded at (10 million US dollars) during the July-June period of 2023-24 fiscal year, according to data of the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB).
Some 42 percent of Afghanistan’s total exports go to Pakistan, 40 percent to India, 4.00 percent to China, 2.00 percent to UAE and 2.00 percent to Turkey, according to Afghanistan data.
Afghanistan’s total trade in goods surged to nearly 14 billion U.S. dollars in 2025, marking a significant year-on-year increase, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry announced, according to Xinhua.
“The country’s overall trade volume stood at 13.93 billion U.S. dollars, with exports totaling 1.8 billion dollars and imports amounting to over 12.12 billion dollars,” according to ministry spokesman Akhundzada Abdul Salam Jawad.
Key exports comprised fresh and dried fruits, saffron, herbal medicines, vegetables, minerals, and carpets. Major imports included petroleum products, oils, machinery, vehicles and apparatus, wheat and flour, natural gas, cotton textiles, vegetable oils, black cement, medicinal spices, rice, sugar, dairy products and eggs, cigarettes, raw materials for industrial factories, and new clothing, Jawad said.
Afghanistan’s primary export destinations were India, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kazakhstan, Iran, Türkiye, China, Iraq, and Tajikistan. The main sources of imports were Iran, the UAE, Pakistan, China, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Russia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, and India, Jawad added.
For comparison, Afghanistan’s total trade volume in 2024 was 12.42 billion dollars.
Afghanistan, the landlocked country in South Asia, can offer the best quality of fruits to Bangladesh at the most competitive prices compared to countries like South Africa, Brazil, China, Australia, India, Pakistan and Egypt, sources said
Apples come from South Africa, Brazil, China, and Australia, pomegranates from India, pears from Pakistan, sweet oranges from Egypt, tangerines from China and India, and grapes from India, industry people say.
Bangladesh roughly spent $450 million in the 2021-22 fiscal year to procure fruits from countries like India, Pakistan, Egypt, South Africa, Brazil, China and Australia, industry people say.
Traders opened LCs worth $247.26 million in July-January of 2023-24 fiscal year, up 25.81 percent year-on-year, central bank data showed.
The purchase from external sources was $196.54 million in the identical seven months of the previous financial year and $326.33 million in 2021-22.
About 40 percent of the country’s demand for fruits is met locally, while the rest comes from imports.
Afghanistan exports dry food to Bangladesh through Karachi and Chittagong ports as the South Asian country is a landlocked one.
Afghanistan has a population of over 40 million and Bangladesh can penetrate the Afghan clothing market, said a member of the Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA).
Sources said China has the largest penetration of the clothing market in Afghanistan.
The conservative World Bank Group report says Afghanistan’s economy continues to grow modestly—with real GDP estimated at 4.8 percent—despite regional tensions and border closures, driven in part by strong domestic demand and the return of millions of Afghans to the country.
The return of around 3.7 million Afghans will help expand pharmaceutical markets of Afghanistan, said a leader of the Bangladeshi pharmaceutical industry.
Domestic revenue collection improved significantly, reaching 19.8 percent of GDP in 2025, supported by stronger tax enforcement. However, a decline in external grants has resulted in limited investment in infrastructure and the ability to respond to economic shocks…
Xinhua adds: Afghanistan’s economy is projected to grow by around 4 percent in 2026, supported by stronger domestic demand, rising private investment, and improved integration of returning migrants into the labor market, TOLOnews reported recently, citing a World Bank statement.
The report said that trade through Iran continues to play an important role in supporting economic activity, while efforts to diversify trade routes are expected to enhance resilience and contribute to more stable growth.
It also highlighted that Afghanistan’s economy expanded by an estimated 4.8 percent in 2025, driven by higher consumption and a gradual recovery in non-agricultural sectors, indicating continued though modest economic improvement despite ongoing challenges………………
Afghanistan has exported more than 760,000 square meters of handmade carpets to overseas markets so far this year, marking an increase over previous years, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs said recently.
According to the office, the carpet industry employs nearly one million people, directly and indirectly, across the country and remains one of its key traditional export sectors.
The statement said most of the carpets are exported to Europe and the Middle East.
Officials said the increase in exports reflects the continued growth of Afghanistan’s carpet industry and its contribution to employment, non-traditional exports and economic development…
Afghanistan’s Minister of Industry and Commerce Nooruddin Azizi announced on Tuesday that the country’s exports soared by 230 percent in 2025 compared with the previous year.
Azizi made the remarks during a business communication conference aimed at boosting trade cooperation and meeting the economic needs of Afghanistan and its neighboring countries.
He said the sharp rise in exports reflects growing economic engagement and stronger commercial ties with regional partners, particularly Uzbekistan.
During the conference, business representatives from Afghanistan and Uzbekistan signed trade agreements worth 300 million U.S. dollars, underscoring efforts to expand bilateral commerce and strengthen regional economic ties.
Afghan authorities have emphasized in recent months that promoting exports and regional trade is central to supporting domestic production, creating jobs, and strengthening the country’s economic stability…
Afghanistan’s total trade volume surpassed 13.901 billion U.S. dollars over the past year, covering 1.722 billion dollars in exports and 12.178 billion dollars in imports, government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said on Sunday.
During the same period, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce facilitated the signing of 150 memoranda of understanding, commercial agreements and investment contracts between Afghanistan’s private sector and regional partners, with a combined value of 2.389 billion dollars, Mujahid said.
Authorities also allocated 2,804 acres of land to 576 factories, while 174 new industrial companies commenced operations across 16 sectors, generating 34 million dollars in industrial investment, said the official.
Afghanistan’s main exports include fresh and dried fruits, hand-woven carpets, saffron, handicrafts, and precious and semi-precious stones. Key imports consist of medical supplies, electrical equipment, agricultural products, processed foodstuffs, textiles, leather goods, electrical components and construction materials.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan’s Ministry of Public Works, led by the Taliban, says more than 1,500 km of new railway lines will be built across the country to expand the rail network and increase Afghanistan’s capacity for regional trade and transit.
The ministry said the projects are aimed at boosting trade, strengthening transit routes and positioning Afghanistan as a major regional transportation corridor.
According to the ministry, surveys and design work are currently underway for several key railway routes. The projects are intended to expand rail connectivity, increase freight capacity, strengthen regional commerce and create new transit corridors.
Afghanistan is currently connected to the railway networks of Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Iran through the Hairatan, Aqina, Torghundi and Khaf-Herat railway lines.
The planned expansion could provide Afghanistan with greater rail connectivity to markets in Central Asia, Iran and Pakistan, potentially strengthening its role in regional trade and transit.
Among the routes included in the development plans are Torghundi-Herat, Herat-Kandahar, Kandahar-Spin Boldak, Kabul-Kandahar and Andkhoy-Sheberghan.
Recent reports have put the combined length of the railway lines under survey and design across these five corridors at approximately 1,537 km.
The Taliban says financing for the projects will be pursued through a combination of domestic resources and foreign investment…
