Dhaka, Oct. 29 -- Bangladesh and Malaysia have concluded the first round of negotiations on a proposed free trade agreement (FTA), with both sides tentatively setting January 2027 for the next round, the Ministry of Commerce said Thursday.

The three-day talks, which began on October 27, formally ended at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka, according to a press release issued by the ministry.

The negotiations took place in a "positive atmosphere" and focused on expanding bilateral trade, increasing mutual investment and opening new areas of cooperation in technology and the digital economy, the ministry said.

During the talks, 13 working groups reviewed draft texts and structural issues of the relevant FTA chapters.

The discussio...