Dhaka, Dec. 24 -- Finalising a draft Foreign Investment Protection Agreement (FIPA) gets in a slow lane, deterring Canadian investment in Bangladesh and delaying a bilateral free-trade deal, officials say.

The Canadian High Commission in Dhaka has shared with Bangladesh a model of the proposed FIPA that Canada used to conclude with other countries, including some in South Asia.

However, finalising the draft of the deal did not see any progress so far. The industries secretary, while talking to the FE Thursday, could not confirm whether she received the FIPA draft or passed it forward.

Bangladesh High Commissioner to Canada Dr Khalilur Rahman in a recent letter to Industries Secretary Zakia Sultana requested expediting the spadework on ...