Bangladesh and India explored easing Dhaka’s curbs on Indian yarn shipments via land ports, alongside reopening shuttered border haats and bringing land ports to full working capacity, as the neighbouring nations look to bolster bilateral trade.
According to a ministry statement, these matters surfaced during talks between Commerce Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir and Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Dinesh Trivedi.
Muktadir noted bilateral trade presently stands at roughly $13 billion, though trading activity had eased somewhat across the past eighteen months owing to several hurdles.
Talks centred on how to pinpoint these difficulties and render trade relations between the two nations smoother and more effective going forward, the statement noted.
India ranks as Bangladesh’s second-largest trading partner behind China, with the two nations sharing longstanding economic bonds, the commerce minister said.
He said the discussion focused on bringing land ports to full operational capacity, reopening shuttered border haats and lifting the existing curb on yarn shipments via land ports.
The two sides likewise explored establishing a joint task force and building digital infrastructure to deepen cooperation between businesses, unlock fresh investment prospects and speed up trade.
Muktadir voiced hope that the Indian high commissioner’s efforts would further cement Bangladesh-India ties and elevate economic cooperation to a fresh tier.
Dinesh Trivedi said India could support the sector by supplying zips, machinery, buttons and other inputs, thereby deepening mutual interdependence between the two nations.
The high commissioner said he feels a sense of pride witnessing garments carrying the “Made in Bangladesh” label within international markets.
The garment sector could expand further through joint ventures between the two nations, he added.
Separately, Bangladesh textile mills have urged the government to withdraw the bonded import facility for 10-30 count yarn, as local spinning mills face growing pressure from cheaper imported yarn.
Showkat Aziz Russell, president of the Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA), raised the demand at the first co-ordination meeting of the textile and garment sector, an initiative of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to address industry challenges.
The meeting was chaired by Commerce Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir, who also heads the committee at the Commerce Ministry.
The BTMA argued that domestic spinning mills have sufficient capacity to supply 10-30 count yarn, which is widely used in the industry.
