Bangladesh invites increased Turkish investment, expands defence cooperation talks

Bangladesh has called for greater Turkish investment and deeper defence collaboration during a high level meeting between State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam and Turkish Ambassador Ramis Şen in Dhaka on Monday.

During the courtesy call at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the state minister expressed Bangladesh’s readiness to facilitate increased Turkish investment and highlighted the steady growth in bilateral trade. Both sides agreed on the shared goal of expanding trade volume and strengthening economic engagement.

Shama Obaed also underscored the importance of advancing defence cooperation, noting ongoing collaboration in capacity building and defence industry development. She emphasised the need for continued partnership in these areas to further solidify ties between the two countries.

The state minister sought Turkiye’s support for Bangladesh’s candidature for the presidency of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly for the 2026 to 2027 term. Ambassador Şen conveyed Ankara’s support for Bangladesh’s bid, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Congratulating Shama Obaed on her recent appointment, the Turkish envoy reaffirmed his country’s commitment to deepening the longstanding friendship between Dhaka and Ankara.

The meeting also focused on cultural and humanitarian cooperation. The state minister thanked Turkiye for its continued assistance to Rohingya refugees sheltered in Bangladesh and for its consistent backing of Bangladesh in international forums. She expressed hope that Turkiye would play a constructive role in facilitating the safe and voluntary repatriation of Rohingyas to Myanmar.

Highlighting the growing popularity of Turkish culture in Bangladesh, Shama Obaed proposed establishing a full fledged Turkish cultural institute in the country. In response, Ambassador Şen referred to a proposal to set up a Yunus Emre Institute at the University of Dhaka, initially as a language training centre with the potential to expand into broader cultural programmes.

The state minister also expressed hope that once Bangladesh’s parliament resumes, efforts would be made to revitalise the Bangladesh Turkey Parliamentary Friendship Group to enhance legislative exchanges and strengthen people to people connections.

Both sides described bilateral relations as rooted in shared values, cultural affinity and long standing historical bonds, and pledged to further broaden cooperation across key sectors.