Bangladesh to export bricks to northeast India

October 5th, 2009 MUHURIGHAT - Bangladesh has urged India to do away with visas for travel between the two neighbours to boost trade and business besides improving people-to-people relations. "If European nations introduced visa free movement among 27 of their countries, why aren'nt southeast Asia's two close neighbours -- India and Bangladesh -- adopting such systems to further boost economy and culture?" asked Bangladesh Ports and Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan.

September 12th, 2009 DHAKA - Bangladesh says it will not hand over Indian separatist leader Anup Chetia, who served a jail term here for entering the country with fake documents, but stressed it would not allow its territory to be used by militants. Back from her visit to India, Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dipu Moni told reporters Friday that Chetia, a top leader of the United Liberation of Asom (ULFA), had already completed his sentence.

August 21st, 2009 Akhaurah (India-Bangladesh Border), - Bangladesh has in principle agreed to provide transit facilities to India but in return has demanded a corridor through West Bengal to carry out bilateral trade with Nepal and Bhutan. Bangladesh Commerce Minister Colonel (retired) Faruk Khan said: "India already enjoys maritime transit with Bangladesh, and we can hold bilateral talks to resolve the long pending road and rail transit issue." "Providing transit facilities to India is not a big problem, it can be resolved through mutual talks.

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.

July 21st, 2009 DHAKA - Shifting emphasis from multilateral to bilateral economic ties. Bangladesh is to revive the Joint Economic Commissions (JECs) with its principal trade partners India and China.

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.

May 27th, 2009 DHAKA - Bangladesh is mooting a trans-border gas corridor connecting Iran and Myanmar through several countries including India. The move comes close on the heels of its decision to join the Asian rail and road highways, after staying away for years from joining the network.

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 20th, 2009 AGARTALA - Bangladeshi trade and industry groups have said they would increase trade and economic activities with India's northeast region and urged Dhaka to provide transit facilities to India. 'We have decided to start business and education tourism with the northeastern region,' said Abdul Matlub Ahmad, president of the India-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

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.

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.

December 30th, 2008 NEW DELHI - Having correctly read Bangladesh's electoral mood, India now hopes that the new Awami League government will finally start cracking down on anti-India insurgents who have for long made that country their base. The presence in Bangladesh of leaders and key operatives of several militant groups from northeast India has been a thorn in bilateral ties that otherwise improved under the country's army-backed caretaker administration.