The 16th meeting of the Joint Working Group between Bangladesh and India is set to begin in New Delhi.

The two-day meeting begins on Thursday, October 8, and will run through Friday.

During the discussions, Bangladesh will raise various bilateral trade issues, including anti-dumping duties on jute products and operational complexities at land ports.

A 10-member delegation led by Additional Commerce Secretary Ayesha Akhter left Dhaka on Tuesday to attend the meeting.

A delegation official stated that Bangladesh will present nearly all of its trade-related demands, though the agenda from the Indian side remains unconfirmed.

As this forum is strictly for discussions, no final decisions will be made.

The significant trade deficit between the two nations will also be addressed, given that Bangladesh's exports to India are substantially lower than its imports from the country.

However, the proposed Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) has been excluded from the agenda this time.

India is Bangladesh's second-largest source of imports after China.

According to National Board of Revenue data, Bangladesh exported goods worth $1.75 billion to India in the 2025-26 fiscal year, while importing goods totaling $10.96 billion.

Domestic traders primarily source factory raw materials, fabrics, and cotton from India.