Industries Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir informed Parliament on Monday that Bangladesh recorded its largest trade imbalance within the SAARC region with India during the 2024-25 fiscal year, with the deficit reaching $7.86 billion.
The minister disclosed the figures while responding to a starred question from treasury bench lawmaker SM Jahangir Hossain (Dhaka-18) in the Parliament.
He noted that while Bangladesh maintains trade deficits with several SAARC countries, it also enjoys surpluses with a few others.
According to the data presented, Bangladesh exported goods worth $1,764.24 million to India, while imports stood at $9,624.10 million, resulting in the significant trade gap of $7,859.87 million. The minister described this as the highest trade deficit Bangladesh faces among SAARC member states.
He further outlined Bangladesh’s trade position with other regional countries. With Afghanistan, exports were valued at $11.09 million against imports of $21.80 million, creating a deficit of $10.71 million. Trade with Bhutan also showed a deficit, as exports stood at $14.33 million compared to imports of $44.10 million.
With Pakistan, Bangladesh exported $74 million worth of goods while importing $755.30 million, resulting in a deficit of $681.30 million.
However, the minister highlighted positive trade balances with some neighbours. Bangladesh exported $35.40 million to Nepal against imports of $5.50 million, and also recorded surpluses with Sri Lanka and the Maldives. Exports to Sri Lanka were $82.85 million compared to imports of $76.60 million, while exports to the Maldives stood at $6.35 million against imports of $3.50 million.
Officials said the data reflects both challenges and opportunities in regional trade dynamics, with significant imbalances continuing to shape Bangladesh’s economic relations within the SAARC bloc.
