In response to the newly-imposed restrictions on the import of some Bangladeshi products to India through different land ports, the government is set to hold a meeting today (Tuesday) to devise necessary strategies, including taking immediate steps, sources said.
The next course of action and the existing challenges in exporting Bangladeshi goods via land ports
will be high on the agenda.
Senior shipping secretary; foreign affairs secretary; chairmen of the now defunct National Board of Revenue, Bangladesh Trade and Tariff Commission, and Bangladesh Land Port Authority; and vice-chairman of the Export Promotion Bureau are expected to join the urgent meeting to be chaired by Commerce Secretary Mahbubur Rahman.
Representatives of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, and India-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry are also expected to participate in the meeting to be held at the commerce ministry.
When contacted, a senior commerce ministry official said, "At the meeting, we will make necessary decisions to improve bilateral relations."
On Sunday, Commerce Adviser Sk Bashir Uddin told reporters he had not been officially informed about India's import restrictions and only came to know about it from the media and social media. Based on that, the matter was being analysed to decide what steps should be taken by the Bangladesh government, he said.
He said it would take one or two days to understand the situation and the government would then decide what to do next in this connection. The adviser further said, "We believe in trade liberalisation. We have to work on increasing trade inclusion. It is our job to protect the interests of consumers and traders."
Mr Bashir said India is in a very good position in terms of bilateral trade.
This trade deficit would not decrease in a day. It will take a long time to eliminate it, he added.
The neighbouring India on Saturday imposed restrictions on the import of certain goods, including readymade garment (RMG) and processed food, from Bangladesh via different land ports.
The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry in India issued a notification in this regard.
The restrictions came after Bangladesh restricted Indian cotton imports via seaports and closed land ports.
India said the import restrictions via different land ports would not apply to Bangladeshi goods transiting through India and destined for Nepal and Bhutan.
The notification said the import of all kinds of RMG products from Bangladesh would be allowed only through the Nhava Sheva and Kolkata seaports. Bilateral trade between Bangladesh and India was more than $10.5 billion in the fiscal year 2023-24. In this area, India is in a much better position, with an annual trade surplus of $7.43 billion.
Bangladesh imported around $1.6 billion worth of cotton yarn from India in 2024. It exported apparel items of over $38 billion that year, and more than $1.0 billion worth of goods were sent via Indian land ports.
rezamumu@gmail.com
