Indian business delegation emphasised joint investments to narrow trade gap between Bangladesh and India which reached around $5bn last fiscal year.
The suggestion came in a views-exchange meeting between the delegation from India’s Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the leaders of Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Saturday.
The meeting was held at Bangaba.
The Indian delegation also expressed its consent about setting up an engineering institute in Chittagong to produce skilled manpower and enhance bilateral trade.
The 15-member delegation comprised of representatives from consultancy, education, engineering, finance, health, IT, shipping, logistics, skill development and transportation sectors.
The delegation also expressed eagerness to build skilled manpower through giving training on engineering and IT.
With the CCCI Senior Vice-President Nurun Newaz Salim in the chair, the views-exchange meeting was attended by the head of the delegation RN Lahiri, India’s assistant high commissioner in Chittagong Somnath Halder and CCCI Director Mahfuzul Haque Shah, among others.
Nurun Newaz Salim underscored the importance of ensuring trade facilities, removing all barriers and developing infrastructures.
He also called upon the visiting delegation to invest in Mirsarai Economic Zone near Chittagong city.
Halder recommended joint investment in the sectors like cement, fish processing, fruit and food for reducing the trade gap between the two countries.
In fiscal year 2015-16 Bangladesh imports from India reached $5,453m a year while exports to India are $689.62m.
