Bangladesh, India agree to quickly settle unresolved trade issues

Bangladesh and India’s commerce secretaries have agreed to quickly settle the unresolved bilateral issues. A two-day meeting began in Dhaka on Sunday.

Commerce Secretary Hedayetullah Al Mamoon is leading the 13-strong team while his Indian counterpart Rajeev Kher is heading a seven-member delegation.

The meeting, hoped Mamoon, will help further improve bilateral relations.

The last commerce-secretary meeting was held in New Delhi on Apr 28-29, 2012.

“We have discussed every issue on trade relations. The unsettled issues related to trade will be solved soon,” Mamoon told reporters after the meeting.

“We have already finalised a bilateral treaty on trade. The framework agreement has also been signed,” he said.

Kher said, “We discussed the progress of overall trade and shared opinion on

how we can solve the problems related to trade.”

Commerce ministry officials find the meeting ahead of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Bangladesh significant.

The agenda of the meeting included India’s acknowledgement of BSTI tests,

removing temporary trade barriers in imports from India, border markets,

withdrawal of India’s Countervailing Duty (CVD) on imports of Bangladeshi readymade garments.

Removing export barrier to Bangladesh jute bags, development of land

ports and withdrawal of India’s list of Bangladeshi 225 products were also on the list of items.