Bangladesh has sought expanded support from the World Bank to strengthen human capital development and institutional capacity in order to enhance its competitiveness in global trade.
Commerce Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir made the call during a meeting with World Bank Operations Manager Gayel Martin held at the Bangladesh Secretariat on Wednesday. The discussion focused on improving the country’s trade strategy and addressing the need for modernisation in key economic sectors.
The commerce minister stressed that infrastructure development alone is not sufficient for long-term economic progress. He emphasised that Bangladesh must prioritise building a skilled workforce and strengthening institutional capacity to effectively participate in the global marketplace.
According to him, developing expertise in areas such as trade negotiation, trade law, and World Trade Organisation (WTO) regulations is essential for navigating the increasingly complex international trade environment. He warned that without such improvements, Bangladesh could risk losing competitiveness.
Muktadir also requested targeted assistance from the World Bank in several areas, including capacity building for ministry officials, strengthening the Bangladesh Foreign Trade Institute, and enhancing practical knowledge of international trade systems.
He further highlighted the importance of improving project management efficiency. Noting that Bangladesh is currently implementing a large number of development projects with support from international partners, he said outcomes depend heavily on the administrative and managerial capabilities of project personnel. In this regard, he proposed specialised training programmes for Project Directors to ensure timely and effective implementation.
In response, Gayel Martin acknowledged Bangladesh’s progress in trade-related reforms and praised the ongoing Export Competitiveness for Jobs (EC4J) initiative implemented by the Ministry of Commerce. She described the project as a strong example of successful development cooperation.
Gayel Martin reaffirmed the World Bank’s continued commitment to Bangladesh, noting that its focus remains on job creation, industrial productivity, and value addition to support sustainable economic growth.
The meeting concluded with both sides expressing interest in deepening collaboration between the Ministry of Commerce and the World Bank to advance shared development goals.
