Economic engagement with Bangladesh required: Ramesh

Kolkata, June 20 (UNI) Trade and economic engagement between India and Bangladesh will have to be increased to stop forces using the neighbouring country as a base for terrorist activities against India, Union Minister of state for Commerce Jairam Ramesh said today.

Apart from developing the infrastructure in the border trading centres with Bangladesh, a testing centre for imported Hilsa fish would be set up in Petrapole with Central funding, Ramesh said.

He hoped that the proposed Tata project in Bangladesh would get approval once the elections in the neighbouring gets over in the first quarter of 2007.

He said Bangladesh's exports to India would grow to 250 million dollars in 2006-07 with the increase in the concessions offered by India.

Mr Ramesh said a high-level meeting on August 19 at Agartala with representatives of NE states, the Centre and Bangladesh would examine ways to improve trade in the region.

The Jamdani sarees meant for import by India from Bangladeshi manufactureres would no more need certification of quality from Lucknow as validation by any Dhaka based laboratory ofinternational repute would be enough, he observed.

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