Roundtable Discussion on Economic Diplomacy: Bangladesh Perspective 13 March 2025

This roundtable explored economic diplomacy as an operational craft that integrates trade policy, investment attraction, standards cooperation, and strategic communications. Contributors unpacked market-access frictions—rules of origin, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, technical regulations—and emphasized the value of mutual recognition agreements and conformity assessment capacity to unlock higher value segments. Case discussions covered apparel-plus, agro-processing, pharmaceuticals, light engineering, and IT-enabled services, proposing playbooks that link sector roadmaps with trade negotiations and promotion efforts. The proceedings also assessed emerging compliance regimes—supply-chain due diligence, sustainability reporting, and carbon pricing—and the risk that firms are excluded by non-tariff barriers rather than explicit tariffs. Speakers argued for anticipatory compliance: building testing, certification, and data systems ahead of regulatory deadlines. The session concluded with a call for coherent advocacy that marries analytics with diplomatic engagement, supported by a small, agile legal and economic unit capable of litigating, negotiating, and communicating effectively.