Bangladesh to request India to lift export ban on rice, pulse, onion

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M Azizur Rahman
Bangladesh will formally request India to withdraw its export ban on essential commodities especially rice, pulse and onion during the forthcoming Joint Working Group (JWG) meeting of both the countries scheduled for November 5-6 next in Dhaka.
"We have already made requests to the Indian High Commission in Dhaka to remove the ban on export of some of the Indian essential commodities imported to Bangladesh," a senior Commerce Ministry official told the FE Tuesday.
He said during the India-Bangladesh JWG meeting both the countries will also discuss the issues of non-tariff and para-tariff barriers, customs, ports and border trade to augment bilateral trade between the countries.
Sources said India has banned exporting rice to Bangladesh market since October 10 last, onion from about a month ago and pulse since 2006 'temporarily' on the ground of increased domestic demand.
Such ban created an abrupt shortfall in supply of such items resulting in price hike as the local commodities' markets are largely dependent on imports from India due to geographical proximity.
Currently rice is being sold at Tk 25 and above per kg, pulse over Tk 75 per kg and onion over Tk 60 per kg witnessing 40 per cent to 100 per cent rise in their prices during the span of last couple of months.
Regarding the imposition of export ban of essential commodities, a trade negotiation expert said: "Any country can impose ban on export of essential commodities to other countries as per the World Trade Organisation (WTO) regulations as the global trade watchdog has relaxed the statutes over trade of agro-products."
But before imposing such a ban, the exporting country must have to notify the importing country on the products which would be banned for export, he said.
Before imposing ban on export of rice, pulse and onion to Bangladesh, India did not notify it, a senior commerce ministry official claimed.
Commerce Ministry sources said during the forthcoming JWG meeting Bangladesh will also urge its Indian counterpart to remove non-tariff barrier on the Bangladeshi products like nuts, Jamdani sarees and toiletries products.
Bangladesh will also seek entry of its trucks inside Indian territory in the border area to facilitate bilateral trade.
Currently Indian trucks can enter half-a-kilometer into Bangladeshi territory from the border.
It will also seek improvement of land port facilities on the Indian side at Benapole and Banglabanda land ports.
Bangladesh has already improved the land port facilities at both these land ports.