Reopening border haats, lifting restrictions on yarn imports discussed with Indian envoy

Bangladesh’s Commerce Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir and Indian High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi discussed several issues aimed at further strengthening trade relations between Bangladesh and India.

According to a statement from the Commerce Ministry, the two sides discussed reopening the border haats that have remained closed, making the land ports fully operational and lifting restrictions on the import of yarn through land routes.

The issues were discussed at a meeting between Commerce Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir and Indian High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi at the Secretariat on Monday.

The meeting also covered expanding bilateral trade, removing trade barriers, promoting joint investment and increasing cooperation between businesses of the two countries.

After the meeting, the commerce minister said bilateral trade between Bangladesh and India currently stands at around USD 13 billion. However, trade has slowed somewhat over the past one and a half years due to various obstacles. The meeting focused on identifying these problems and discussing ways to make trade easier and more effective.

The commerce minister said India is Bangladesh’s second-largest trading partner after China and that the two countries have longstanding economic ties.

He said priority was given to bringing the land ports into full operation, reopening closed border haats and lifting restrictions on yarn imports by land to further strengthen economic relations.

The minister also said a proposal had been made to form a joint task force to enhance cooperation between businesses in the two countries.

The two sides also discussed creating new investment opportunities and making business communication easier through improvements in digital infrastructure.

Indian High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi said that although Bangladesh and India have some differences on political and economic issues, their people want development and progress. The two countries need to work together, particularly for the future of their younger generations, he said.

Trivedi also said Bangladesh and India are independent and sovereign countries. Neither country is bigger or smaller than the other, and both are equal. Relations should move forward on the basis of this equality, he said.

The Indian high commissioner said economic cooperation is the most important factor in improving relations between the two countries. In his view, stronger economic ties would create opportunities for cooperation in other areas as well.

Emphasising joint investment and production, Trivedi said Bangladesh’s garment industry has been successful in global markets. India could support the sector by supplying zippers, machinery, buttons and other inputs, he said. This would further increase mutual dependence between the two countries.

Praising Bangladesh’s garments, he said he feels proud when he sees clothing labelled “Made in Bangladesh” in international markets. The country’s garment sector could expand further through joint initiatives between Bangladesh and India, he added.

The meeting also placed emphasis on increasing cooperation between businesses, creating new investment opportunities and strengthening supply chains. Both sides expressed hope that these initiatives would further strengthen trade relations between Bangladesh and India.