Call to enhance trade with Bangladesh via NE

GIVE us transit facility to enhance bilateral trade, India told Bangladesh at a dialogue organised jointly by Sylhet Chamber of Commerce and Indian High Commission in Dhaka. Deputy High Commissioner of India Dilip Sinha pointed out that Bangladesh is committed to offer transit route under the bilateral trade agreement with India signed in 1972 and renewed in 1973 and 1980. The transit route would pave the way for business development between Bangladesh and NE States, he said speaking at the seminar ‘Trade and investment between Bangladesh and NE states of India”. The advisor of Bangladesh Ministry of Commerce Barkatullah Bulu urged Indian officials to remove the growing trade barriers between the two countries. Meanwhile, a joint working group has been formed in this regard.

NEC to launch a major initiative

“North Eastern Council (NEC) will take up major development initiative soon,” NEC Chairman Ajai Singh declared. He was of the view developmental activities in North-East should go ahead full swing notwithstanding the disturbances carried out by the militant outfits. “We have already prepared a road map,” he said adding all efforts would be made to motivate entrepreneurs from outside to invest in the region. Ajai Singh is hopeful that North Eastern Region would emerge as a major economic zone in the next 10 - 15 years and therefore, its strategic importance for the nation would grow manifold. He opined that with its untapped potentials in agriculture, mineral, oil, tourism and power sectors, the region has virtually unlimited scope for development. “Power from the region can even be exported to the South East Asian countries and China,” was his optimistic prediction.

“Efforts are also on to revitalise the North Eastern Council,” he said and called upon the media to project a ‘positive image’ of the region to encourage investors to come in. “Ultimately it is only a development initiative which can be a safeguard against militancy in the North Eastern Region,” he stressed.

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