960406

Bangladesh daily

criticized India's trade

barrier for Bangladeshi exports

DHAKA: Leading English daily of Bangladesh 'The New Nation' of April 4, has editorially criticized India's trade barrier for Bangladeshi exports.

The editorial says "India's export to Bangladesh has grown 30 fold over the past ten years while the exports from Bangladesh to India remained almost stagnant."

According to Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi, Indian exports to Bangladesh now average about dollar 1.5 billion which is nearly half of Bangladesh's total annual export. Bangladesh is now the 11th largest market for India. "The visible and invisible tariff wall built-up by India impedes Bangladesh exports there", the editorial regrets. "Bangladesh on the otherhand removed almost all barriers to entry of goods from India under open market system", the daily continues, "India uses this opportunity to the full but allows no reciprocity for Bangladeshi goods."

"There is no special treatment for Bangladesh being a SAARC country" the daily regrets. "The result is the staggering trade imbalance that Bangladesh suffers being about Taka 16 billion, " the daily regretfully informs. There had been numerous meetings at various levels between the two countries with solemn declaration for steps to reduce the trade gap. But the declaration appears to remain stuck in the pages of the agreement. Various Indian tariffs make the exports from Bangladesh high noncompetitive against Indian goods of comparable quality. But Indian goods easily competes with Bangladeshi goods in Bangladesh market for absence of any tariff barrier.

The daily advises, Bangladesh Govt, to ensure reciprocity by imposing tariff on Indian goods so that Bangladeshi industries could survive. Citing example the editorial says, "Even the United States has imposed selective tariff against imports from China and Japan to protect its interest."

Referring to illegal trade (i.e.smuggling) the editorial says, "India's invisible trade with Bangladesh is said to be larger than the official one and that is difficult for Bangladesh to control it". The daily rebukes India to offer lip service in stead of acting on its words. It advises India to comply with its own words that her leaders put forwarded earlier to reduce the trade gap between two SAARC members states. "For the sake of good neighbourliness and a SAARC member, India must now act", the daily suggests.-APP