International

Bangladesh unhappy with Indian trade offer

By Haroon Habib

DHAKA April 13. India-Bangladesh ties are perhaps getting icy on issues of trade even after the Commerce Secretary-level talks held here recently were described as ``fruitful'' with both sides agreeing to give a few concessions to each other to boost bilateral trade. Most national dailies said the country's trade saw ``little gains'' coming out of the Dhaka- Delhi discussions dragged into an unprecedented third day after hiccups, stalemates and walkouts .

The talks concluded on April 10 without the signing of any agreed minutes or a joint declaration. There was only a joint press statement but no renewal of the bilateral trade agreement, signed in 1980 that expired on April 4.

As the business community continues to express its ``dissatisfaction'' over the outcome of the talks, the Bangladesh Finance and Planning Minister, M. Saifur Rahman has made it clear that his country would never accept any Indian proposal for inclusion of transit or trans-shipment in tradenegotiations.

``I was told that if we do not consider transit or trans-shipment, India is not going to allow free access to Bangladeshi products. I said we will never accept such a proposal'', the Finance

Minister said, while addressing a function marking the 20th founding anniversary of the private sector Arab-Bangladesh Bank.

Mr. Rahman, who is now the second in command of the ruling BNP, was also categorical in saying that India should open its market for all Bangladeshi products except arms, and unless it allows free access, restriction on yarn and sugar import through land port will remain.

``India has made more than a billion dollar trade gap with us due to its aggressive national attitude. No major power in the world treats its neighbour as India has done with us'', he said.

Criticising India for allowing duty-free access to only 40 items, the Finance and Planning Minister said Bangladesh will be able to export not more than nine items to India under the list.

``They should be a little more reasonable with Bangladesh'', he said, adding ``Bangladesh has to protect its interests.'' As against Bangladesh's long-pending demand for 191 items under 25 categories, India has offered duty-free access to 40 products .

Bangladesh has also agreed to discuss the border trade and trans-shipment issues in the coming Joint Economic Commission meeting.

However, the slim list of duty-free products has failed to please the business community.

``If India had allowed us duty-free access to all products barring some negative items, it could have been encouraging'', president of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry(FBCCI),Yusuf AbdullahHarun, said.

He remarked that Bangladesh would hardly benefit from the export of four to five products that India had agreed to in the talks.The day before the Commerce Secretary-level meeting began in Dhaka on April 8, Mr. Harun told a press conference that the 25 category list which India had agreed to long before had become outdated. India should give free access to all Bangladeshi products.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

International

News: Front Page | National | Southern States | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary |

Stories in this Section

• Powell may go ahead with meet
• Blair Govt. faces another scandal
• OPEC not to use oil as `weapon'
• Historic E. Timor polls today
• Lawyers from J&K call on Pak. Minister
• Prabakaran meets Tamil, Muslim leaders
• Bangladesh unhappy with Indian trade offer
• Musharraf suffers from `Benazir phobia'
• I will not be a rubber-stamp President, says Gen. Musharraf
• `Chavez is still President'

Copyright © 2002, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu