Dhaka, April 13 -- Bangladesh's potential accession to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) could deliver positive trade and welfare gains, but also pose significant fiscal and structural challenges, according to a new study.

The analysis, conducted by the Research and Policy Integration for Development (RAPID) and published recently, suggests that while joining the world's largest trade bloc may not immediately transform Bangladesh's export performance, it could act as a long-term catalyst for economic diversification, regional integration and investment inflows.

RCEP, the world's largest free trade agreement, was signed in November 2020 and came into force on January 1, 2022. The bloc brings together 15 Asia-Pacific ...