Bangladesh and Sri Lanka signed 14 instruments of cooperation in coastal shipping, agriculture, higher education, foreign service training, central bank activities, investment, ICT, broadcasting, and training on apparel and textile, following the bilateral meeting between Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Sri Lanka President Maithripala Sirisena in Dhaka, Bangladesh on 13 July 2017, during the Sri Lankan President’s three-day state visit.

MoUs signed include:

• MoU on economic cooperation between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka; 
• MoU between the Ceylon Shipping Corporation and the Bangladesh Shipping Corporation;
• MoU on Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution and Sri Lanka Standards Institution;
• MoU between the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority and the Board of Investment Sri Lanka;
• MoU on cooperation in the field of Information and Communication Technology;
• MoU on collaboration between Chittagong BGMEA Institute of Fashion and Technology and Sri Lanka Institute for Apparel and Textiles; and 
• Agreement on visa waiver for diplomatic and official passport holders and Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are working on a free trade agreement to be finalized within the year to boost bilateral trade. Negotiations and studies are underway.

Related Links:

• Bangladesh, Sri Lanka sign 14 deals after Hasina-Sirisena talks
• Bangladesh, Sri Lanka sign visa waiver deal, 13 others on cooperation after Hasina-Sirisena talks
• Bangladesh's first ever FTA to be signed with Sri Lanka