Bangladesh seeks to increase trade with northeast India

October 5th, 2009 Belonia (Tripura)/FENI - Indian and Bangladeshi officials attended the inauguration of the new land custom station at India-Bangladesh border to give fillip to bilateral trade. The custom station situated in Muhurighat under Belonia subdivision in Tripura connects the state with Feni Land Port in Bangladesh.

August 21st, 2009 Akhaurah (India-Bangladesh Border), - Bangladesh has said it will increase trade and economic activities with India's northeast region and develop infrastructure at the border. Bangladesh Commerce Minister Colonel (retired) Faruk Khan said: "We have decided to increase trade and business with the northeastern region to reduce Bangladesh's trade gap with India.

August 13th, 2009 AGARTALA - Bangladesh will export 400 million bricks to Tripura, with the first consignment reaching the bordering state Aug 20, officials said here Thursday. "To boost the brick trade, the Indian government has removed the 2.5 percent central custom duty from this month while the Tripura government reduced the value-added tax (VAT) to 4 percent from 12.5 percent," said Tripura Commerce and Industry Minister Jitendra Chowdhury.

July 20th, 2009 DHAKA - An Indian trade delegation visiting Dhaka has urged Bangladesh to take steps to boost bilateral trade ties between the two countries. The appeal came at a seminar on "Bangladesh-India Economic Relations" at Hotel Sonargaon in Dhaka, reports the Daily Star.

July 19th, 2009 NEW DELHI - India-Bangladesh bilateral trade can double by 2011, says the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), which has suggested a multi-pronged action agenda for creating a favourable investment climate. According to FICCI, India's trade with Bangladesh increased from $1 billion in 2001-02 to $3.17 billion in 2007-08, more than three folds, mainly on the back of a 79.4 percent increase in India's exports.

July 5th, 2009 AGARTALA - Bangladesh's industry bodies want transit facilities for India to help it transport cargo to the northeast region through their country. According to them, transshipment can be done through Chittagong and Mongla international ports and Sherpur and Ashuganj river ports, besides through road and railways.

April 28th, 2009 AGARTALA - A ten-member business delegation comprising of members of India-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IBCCI) recently met here to discuss the possibilities to explore bilateral trade potential and industrial investment opportunities in the state. The delegation led by India-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IBCCI) President Abdul Matlub Ahmad met with business community of Tripura Industrial Development Corporation (TIDC), senior most officials and businessmen.

April 9th, 2009 LONDON - The recent liberalisation of RBI removing the ban on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) from Bangladesh may lead towards a stable and secure trade relation between India and Bangladesh. India's decision to welcome investment from Bangladesh also, raises an expectation that foreign trade policies of both the countries will get further liberalized.

April 6th, 2009 KOLKATA - City-based Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Monday announced that it will invest $5 billion in Bangladesh to set up a special economic zone (SEZ) aimed at attracting investments from India. An ICC delegation, which is now touring Bangladesh, has made this offer to officials of that country, the chamber said in a statement issued here.

March 20th, 2009 AGARTALA - The bloody mutiny of Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) in Dhaka last month has knocked off the Indo-Bangladesh border trade by 50 percent, traders here Thursday said. 'The BDR mutiny and reduction of the rate of the Indian rupee against the US dollar have largely affected the Indo-Bangla export-import business during the past few weeks,' said Habul Biswas, spokesman of the Indo-Bangla Desh Trading Organisation.

February 25th, 2009 AGARTALA - A group of chief ministers from the northeastern states will visit Dhaka next month to press for transit facilities to the region via Bangladesh. The delegation will meet Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Foreign Minister Dipu Moni, Trade and Commerce minister Farooq Khan and President Zillur Rahman March 4 and 5 to discuss the transit and other trade and business related matters, a senior official said here Wednesday.

February 14th, 2009 DHAKA - Dhaka and New Delhi are set to renew the inland water transit and trade deal shortly and may add Ashuganj as the ninth port of call for easy transport of Indian goods from Kolkata to Agartala through Bangladesh. With the addition of Ashuganj, Indian goods could move faster from Kolkata to Tripura in India's northeast through the Akhaura-Agartala railway route, New Age newspaper said Sunday quoting unnamed diplomatic sources.

January 29th, 2009 NEW DELHI - India is ready to look at lowering further the number of items in the negative list for trade with least developed countries (LDCs) such as Bangladesh, a senior commerce ministry official said here Friday. 'We have already reduced the negative list from 765 to 480 items.

January 27th, 2009 AGARTALA - Bangladesh is keen to boost trade and commerce with northeastern India to narrow down its trade deficit with the country, an official said here Wednesday. 'Traders, industrialists and investors are really keen to boost trade and business activities with the northeast,' said Abdul Matlub Ahmad, president of the India-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IBCCI).

December 30th, 2008 AGARTALA - Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar Wednesday expressed optimism that the new Bangladesh government led by the Awami League would help settle pending issues related to the northeast, including terrorism. 'We strongly believe that the Awami League government headed by Sheikh Hasina would resolve the northeast India's terrorism related problems and provide transit to transport men and materials between the northeast and the rest of the country via Bangladesh,' Sarkar told reporters here.