A high-level inter-ministerial meeting on Tuesday undertook a number of decisions to improve connectivity further in a bid to boost the country’s bilateral trade with India, especially Bangladesh’s export volume to the neighbouring country.
“The main thrust of the meeting was to improve connectivity further between the two countries,” said Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed while briefing reporters after the meeting held at the Ministry of Finance.
Chaired by Finance Minister AMA Muhith, Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu, Communications Minister Obaidul Quader, Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan, Foreign Minister AH Mahmud Ali, Railways Minister Mujibul Haque, PM’s Adviser on Foreign Affairs Dr Gowher Rizvi, Bangladesh High Commissioner to India Tariq A Karim and concerned Secretaries were present.
The country’s bilateral trade balance is heavily tilted towards India as export of Bangladeshi goods to India totalled $ 563.96 million in fiscal 2012-13 against the import of $ 4,776.10 million from India.
Since India had given duty- and quota-free access of Bangladeshi products into its market, the Commerce Minister said the meeting discussed in details how to successfully avail of these opportunities without any hindrance.
In this regard, the meeting decided to improve the land ports through which the export and import activities are done with India, setting up customs offices. The main thing to this end would be to improve connectivity through upgrading road, rail and river networks, he added.
Tofail Ahmed said the meeting decided to set up an immigration cheque post at Banglabandha-Phulbaria point on Panchagarh-Darjiling road, infrastructural development at Banglabandha-Burimari-Chengrabandha land port, Naogaon-Nakugaon land port, Tamabil-Daoki land port, speedily completing the Akhaura-Agartala rail link and initiate talks for Agartala-Ramgarh rail link, connecting Bangladesh with the existing Phulbaria rail link of India, launching air service with Gauhati by this June, setting up two Deputy High Commissions at Gauhati and Chennai and introducing coastal shipping.
He said the meeting also discussed the possible practical steps to go for product diversification and market diversification of Bangladeshi products into global market.
Replying to a question, the Commerce Minister said connectivity is the number one area of importance to boost trade and commerce adding that Bangladesh would be benefited if there is road connectivity through Kunming-Myanmar-Bangladesh-India through regional cooperation of Bangladesh, China, India and Myanmar (BCIM).
He said that connectivity gets due importance in the regional forums like Asean, EU and APEC. “Connectivity is the most important thing in regional cooperation……corridor and transit are not that important. But, we’ve mindset regarding transit and corridor.”
About transit and corridor, he said someone might open the door if Bangladesh is not interested. “But, that doesn’t mean that we’ll let anyone without fulfilling our interests.”
Tofail said the meeting reviewed that it was much cheaper while importing goods from India than any other countries of the world.
Asked about the process of visa for the businessmen of both the countries, he said the issue did not come up in the meeting. But, he noted that the visa issuing process should have to be eased further from both the countries keeping special focus that no extreme communal force could avail of such opportunity.
Mentioning that this an era of globalization and liberalization as well as a place of free economy, the Commerce Minister said a bright future is waiting for Bangladesh as it will ink Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with some countries.
He said Bangladesh has signed FTA with Chile while a negotiation is going on with Russia to get GSP facilities in its market.
The Commerce Minister said Bangladesh would have to work with a vision and farsightedness so that its export activities do not get hampered.
He also expressed his optimism that the country’s export earnings would surpass the targeted $ 30.5 billion in the current fiscal, the RMG export to reach $ 30 billion by 2015 and $ 50 billion by 2021.
Tofail said the Bangladesh High Commissioner in the UK had a breakfast meeting with the businessmen at his house in the UK today where the business community expressed their interest to invest heavily in Bangladesh and requested him to remove the barriers.
Source: UNB Connect
