Wednesday, October 28, 2009

B’desh-NE for better economic relations

SHILLONG, Oct 27: Entrepreneurs from Bangladesh and India are looking to the existing trade avenues in both countries to further the Northeast India trade links with Bangladesh. Many of those who took part in the interactive session organized by the Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in Shillong were unanimous on the need to exploit the existing markets and to further up the economic ties between the two countries.

Harping on Bangladesh markets for Meghalaya products and the advantages, the president of India-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IBCCI), Anisul Haq today, said: “This potential needs to be exploited for our mutual economic benefits.”

Mentioning about the horticultural products and power as the new markets that Bangladesh can offer, the IBCCI president, however, felt that a transparent government policy and frequent people-to-people contacts can turn this aspiration into a reality. The IBCCI president also offered the booming textile products of Bangladesh as one of the items to India’s Northeast.

President of the India Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IBCCI), Abdul Matlub Ahmad said let today’s interactive session to have a road map for India’s Northeast trade links with Bangladesh have a new beginning for mutual benefits. “We have an age-old socio-economic ties and its revival is imperative from whichever point that we wanted to start”, stated Ahmad. The Indian side represented by the Frontier Chamber of Commerce, the Meghalaya Chamber of Commerce, Meghalaya Deputy Chief Minister and top government officials endorsed the Bangladeshi views. Meghalaya Deputy Chief Minister BM Lanong spoke about better economic ties between the Northeast and Bangladesh for mutual benefits, but it was State Chief Secretary Ranjan Chatterjee’s statement about the reopening of border haats (markets) as a possible turning point to the quest for mutual economic benefits. Chatterjee said, “It will be better to transform these border markets in special economic zones in and around 20 km radius of the international borders”.

Earlier, a delegation of the Indian Chamber of Commerce, Federation of Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FBCCI) and the Indo-Bangla Chamber of Commerce led by the President of FBCCI, Annisul Hud, today met the Meghalaya Chief Minister, Dr DD Lapang in his office chamber to discuss the improvement of trade relations between Bangladesh and India through Meghalaya.

The meeting was also attended by Deputy Chief Minister BM Lanong, Forest and Environment Minister RC Laloo, GAD Minister Prestone Tynsong, Chief Secretary Ranjan Chatterjee and Commissioner and Secretary, Industries, A Som.

The meeting discussed the issues of improvement of trade ties between India and Bangladesh via Meghalaya and exploring investment opportunities in different sectors in the State.

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