Bengla to seek transit facility through India

DHAKA, Aug 1 - Bangladesh will ask New Delhi to provide facility for transit of its goods through India to Nepal and Bhutan in lieu of the transhipment of Indian goods through its territory and seek duty-free access for 25 export products to Indian market, its commerce minister Tofail Ahmed said here today. Ahmed said Dhaka will seek duty-free access for the export products on a non-reciprocal basis when modalities for transhipment of Indian goods are discussed at the next meeting of the joint committee of experts. Ahmed said during his meeting with Indian commerce minister Ramakrishna Hegde in May last, 25 Bangladeshi items of export were identified. These include ceramic, leather products, jute and plastic products and electrical goods. "This arrangement (transhipment of Indian goods) would now enable us to press for duty-free access on those products which had already been agreed in principle", he said. The minister said Bangladesh will ask India to allow transit of Bangladeshi goods through Indian territory to Nepal and Bhutan. "If we find the transhipment not beneficial for the country, we may not go ahead with the proposal", he said. Ahmed said if the proposed zero tariff access to 25 Bangladeshi export products was implemented, it would attract huge foreign investment in those sectors. Experts from India and Bangladesh are expected to meet later this month to work out modalities for transhipment of Indian goods through Bangladesh.