Indo-Bangla trade can grow significantly: Conclave

Vietnam Tribune (ANI) Sunday 20th June, 2010

India and Bangladesh have a lot of scope for improving bilateral trade and cooperation in the near future, observed delegations from both the countries during a regional cooperation meet in Agartala on Sunday.

A meeting under the banner of 'Stakeholder Consultation on Indo-Bangla Trade' was held at Pragnya Bhavan here to review the recent development in trade and investment between the two countries.

Organized jointly by the CUTS International (Consumer Unity and Trust Society) in association with Fredrich Ebert Stiftung (FES), it also highlighted the potential of connectivity and investment involving the two countries, and creating awareness and momentum towards economic cooperation especially between Northeast India and Bangladesh.

About 80 participants from both sides including representatives from business chambers, exporters, investors, government officials, academicians and researchers attended the meeting.

Speaking to ANI on the sidelines of the meeting, Indo-Bangla Chamber of Commerce President, Matlub Ahmed, said: "Following the Prime Minister's (Bangladesh) visit in January lot of things have started moving and new agreements are coming in. The latest of one is the requirement for Tripura the transshipment and transit charges."

"Bangladesh government on June 10 has issued the first SRO on transit-transshipment charges specifying the amount of money for a container or a ton of goods will need to be paid to the Bangladesh government as service charges for moving the goods over Bangladesh to India."

"That's fantastic for Tripura, that's what Tripura was looking for last so many years. I believe this is the biggest achievement that Tripura government could achievement out of Bangladesh and out of the new relation between India and Bangladesh," he added.

Siddhartha Mitra, one of the organizers from CUTS, said: "There have been some forward steps taken in regards to provision of connectivity. We are thinking of transshipment, Bangladesh providing connectivity to Indian good to the rest of the country. So, in short there has are many forward measures been taken."

It was also felt that the relations between India and Bangladesh are headed for better times, and both the countries have entered a dynamic phase of mutual cooperation, which has been triggered by the able and dynamic leaderships of the Prime Ministers of the two countries. By Pinaki Das (ANI)