B'desh wants duty-free access for goods in India

Bangladesh on Tuesday pressed for duty-free access of its products in the Indian market, saying it was urgent to remove barriers for improving trade ties between the two neighbours.

"Bangladesh would certainly appreciate India's favourable response to further duty-free access to Bangladeshi commodities in the Indian market, removal of non-tariff barriers, and improvement of trade infrastructure on the Indian side of the border," visiting Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said while addressing a meeting of industrialists in New Delhi.

"It is now urgent to promote trade between our two countries," she said, adding the efforts should be made to remove avoidable hindrances and initiate long-pending trade facilitation measures.

The Bangladeshi prime minister also underlined the need for facilitating movement of businessmen and professionals and setting up mechanism to settle differences over trade related matters.

Referring to steps being taken by the two countries to facilitate movement of people, Hasina said, "We are also discussing rail and road links with Eastern India, similar to that on the western side, for greater benefits of the people of the eastern region."

Meanwhile, Bangladesh has officially agreed to be part of the Asian Highway Network.

"For regional trade, people to people connectivity, we have proposed movement of passengers and cargo vehicles to Nepal and Bhutan, come into Bangladesh," Hasina said. The trade between India and Bangladesh stood at $40.2410 million in 2007-08.

Decision has also been taken, she said, to open new trade routes through Tegamukh-Demagiri and Sabroom-Ramgarh border points.

As for connectivity, several possibilities are being examined for taking into account their bilateral and regional dimensions.

Hasina is on a three-day official visit and would be meeting President Pratibha Patil, finance minister Pranab Mukherjee, external affairs minister S M Krishna, United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi and leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj before holding wide-ranging talks with Singh.

Image: Sheikh Hasina