Bangladesh participates in industrial trade fair

Kolkata, Jan 20: In spite of the prevailing emergency situation and political unstability in the country,a 43 member business delegation from Bangladesh will participate in the 20th Industrial India Trade Fair here from Monday showcasing their products to international buyers.

Announcing the details of his country's trade delegation, Bangladesh Deputy High Commissioner in Kolkata Muhammad Imran said here today that senior representatives of 23 leading corporates of Bangladesh representing jute,handicrafts,hosiery,textile, food processing and toiletry industries would take part in the eleven day fair,being organised under the banner of the Bengal National Chamber of Commerce and Industry(BNCCI).

Among others Presidents of Bangladesh's largest Federation of Chamber of Commerce and Industry,Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Bangladesh Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry would visit one of the largest Trade Fairs in the country.

Claiming that alleged political uncertainty in the wake of the prevailing emergency did not not have any effect on the trade and industry on his country,the Deputy High Commissioner regretted that existence of some old traiff regime in India and in some cases unfair trade-practices in the border areas, bilateral trade between the two neighbours was not flourishing.

Till last year despite having huge scope,the two way trade between India and Bangladesh stood at around two billion dollars only with the balance of trade tilting in favour of India,Mr Imran said adding that compared to the volume of Indian exports to Bangladesh of more than 1.5 billion dollars last year, export of Bangladeshi items to India was only to the tune of about 50 million dollars.

To remove the trade barrier Mr Imran called for immediate and suitable steps by the Indian commerce ministry like opening of more border trade outposts and further modernisation of the Petrapole and Changrabandha border check posts besides re-starting of the railway connections between the two countries.

About the possibility of Tata Group setting up a huge power and steel project in Bangladesh with the possiblity of drawing highest ever foreign direct investment,Mr Imran said currently the project was on hold because of certain technical problems. "But we are quite optimistic about the future of the Tata project,"he said.

About the possibility of introduction of direct bus service between Agartala and Kolkata through Bangladesh and via Dhaka,the Deputy High Commissioner was optimistic about the programme after a new government took over in Bangladesh.

UNI