India and Bangladesh agreed to remove all barriers and improve infrastructure like road, port and rail links for enhancing bilateral trade.
This was agreed after a two-day successful visit by Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh.
During his visit, Singh announced to remove 46 textiles lines, of interest to Bangladesh, from India's negative list for the least developed countries under the South Asia Free Trade Area Agreement (SAFTA).
Import duties on these items from Bangladesh will be eliminated with immediate effect. Dr Singh and Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina reviewed the progress of bilateral trade.
Talking to media onboard special aircraft after completion of his two-day state visit, Dr. Manmohan Singh has said that wide ranging agreements between New Delhi and Dhaka will have far reaching and positive impact on overall development of the two countries.
Dr. Singh said, the two countries were successful in signing an umbrella agreement on diverse fields which include not only infrastructure, land connectivity, settlement of long pending issues of enclaves and adversely possessed land but also on cultural and academic cooperation. Dr Manmohan Singh said that he sincerely hope that the illegal migration of men and material across the Indo-Bangla border becomes a thing of past.
Talking about the deadlock on Teesta river water sharing issue he said there remained some misunderstanding on the part of both the State and Centre and one learns from one’s mistake. Assuring continued discussion on the matter between all the stakeholders, the PM said that the interest of west Bengal will be his top priority. He said Assam, Mizoram, Meghlaya and Tripura,that share borders with Bangladesh are going to achieve from the agreement signed on a variety of issues.
He said, during his visit to Dhaka he met the Opposition leader Khalida Zia and Jatiyo Party leader H.M Ershad to underline his intention that New Delhi is interested in a deeply rooted friendship with Dhaka. He said full potential in the field of overall regional development can not be achieved if South Asian countries do not work in harmony.
AIR correspondent says that during his two-day hectic schedule in Dhaka the Prime Minister and his delegation comprising foreign Minister SM Krishna and Chief Ministers of Assam, Mizoram, Meghalaya and Tripura had very fruitful deliberations that are going to benefit not only the country as a whole but are important for the development of the states, that share border with Bangladesh.
Major announcements like zero tariff line for 46 textile items, permission of road transit from Bangladesh to Nepal and non-displacement of people living in enclaves have been landmark and path-breaking agreements between the two neighbours.
AIR correspondent covering the PM’s visit reports that the Prime Minister’s visit to Dhaka will certainly open new vistas of cooperation and mutual understanding between the two countries.
The Prime Minister said his personal sentiments are attached with Bangladesh as after its liberation he was sent by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to Dhaka to meet Sheikh Mujibur Rehman. Wednesday when he was addressing the gathering at Dhaka university, he mentioned the freedom struggle of the Intelligentsia and students of Dhaka and their martyrdom during fight against atrocities of Pakistan. Reaching on wide variety of agreements,that were seemingly very difficult is indeed New Delhi’s major step towards improving and nurturing friendly relationship with Dhaka.
