A high-level Indian business delegation is arriving in Bangladesh today, Monday, for a two-day visit as part of efforts to expand trade and investment between the two countries.
The 18-member delegation is being led by Chandrajit Banerjee, Director General of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).
Other members include Rakesh Swami, Group President of Godrej Industries; Suchitra K. Ella, Co-founder and Managing Director of Bharat Biotech International Ltd.; Vinayak Chatterjee, Founder and Managing Trustee of The Infravision; Param Shah, Chief Executive Officer of Arvind Ltd.; PJ Rajesh, Chief Operating Officer of LMW Global; Rajesh Gupta, Regional Head of Mahindra Group; Krishna Khatwani, South Asia Head of Godrej Consumer Products; Deepak Sharma, Group Head (International Operations) at Forbes Marshall; and MS Guru Prasad, Group Head (International Operations) at Apollo Hospitals, among others.
During the visit, the delegation will hold meetings with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, Finance Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, Commerce Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir and other policymakers.
It is also scheduled to meet leaders of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI), the country's apex business organisation, tomorrow, Tuesday. Senior Bangladeshi business leaders are expected to attend the meeting.
A meeting with the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) is also scheduled for tomorrow.
The delegation's visit comes at a time of some strain in the trade relationship between the two countries. Bangladesh’s trade has been disrupted by Indian restrictions on the use of its seaports and land ports.
According to government sources, annual trade between Bangladesh and India stands at around US$12 billion. Bangladesh, however, runs a substantial trade deficit with India, importing significantly more from the neighbouring country than it exports. Bangladesh's exports to India amount to around $2 billion.