Bangladesh to raise trade imbalance issue with India

DHAKA: Bangladesh is likely to raise the issue of trade imbalance with India during talks between caretaker government chief Fakhruddin Ahmed and Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh on the sidelines of the upcoming SAARC summit.

Ahmed will lead the Bangladesh team to the 14th SAARC summit scheduled for April 3-4 in New Delhi.

The issue of trade imbalance will figure during bilateral talks the two leaders are expected to have on the sidelines of the summit, foreign ministry officials here were
quoted as saying in the media.

Bangladesh has an annual trade deficit of over two billion dollar with India.To reduce the huge gap, Dhaka has been pressing for withdrawal of non-tariff and para-tariff
barriers and direct trade with India's seven north-eastern states.

Bangladesh is also seeking a trade office at Agartala but New Delhi is yet to give a positive response in this regard.

Other issues that might come up for discussion during the Ahmed-Singh meet are implementation of the 1974 Mujib-Indira agreement to settle issues like demarcation of
6.5 kms undemarcated border, transfer of enclaves and adversely possessed lands between the two countries and sharing of waters of the common rivers.

India, on its part, is focusing on multi-modal connectivity with Bangladesh for boosting bilateral trade and wants quick implementation of Sealdah-Jaidevpur passenger
train service for increasing people-to-people contact.

Bangladesh has agreed on it but it would require renewal of the train service deal signed in 2001.