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Bangladesh’s trade imbalance with India US$768.12m in 1999-2000

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January 25, 2001 

Sangsad Bhaban-- (UNB) – Bangladesh’s trade imbalance with India was US$768.12 million (about Tk 4,225 crore) during the last fiscal year (1999-2000), Commerce Minister Abdul Jalil told Parliament yesterday (Wednesday).

Replying to a question of Jalaluddin Talukdar (Awami League), he said the government has been taking all possible steps, including increasing Bangladesh's export to the Indian northeastern states, to reduce the widening trade gap.

Jalil said the issue of importing 25 duty free items by India from Bangladesh is under consideration. The Indian government has given tariff facilities to 2,014 items from Bangladesh.

In reply to Kazi Sirajul Islam (AL), he said the export earning during July-November of the current fiscal year (2000-2001) stood at $2761.53 million, which is 35.51 per cent higher than the corresponding period of fiscal 1998-99.

The commerce minister said USA, Germany, UK, France, Netherlands, Italy, Belgium, Canada, Japan, Hong Kong, Spain, Sweden, India, Denmark, Thailand, Australia, UAE, Iran and Pakistan are the major importing countries of Bangladesh export goods.

The export items include woven garments, knitwear, frozen shrimps, leather, jute goods, shoes, towel, specialized textiles, tea, raw jute, chemical fertilizer, ceramic goods, etc.

In fiscal 1999-2000, the country earned $5354.84 million from its export, which constituted 93.09 per cent of the total exports.

The minister informed the House that the country imported dry coconut worth Tk 96 crore in 1999-2000 to produce coconut oil. Besides, coconut oil worth Tk 24 crore was imported during the period, he said.

Replying to another question of Kazi Sirajul Islam (AL), he said the Export Promotion Bureau earned Tk 4,30,86,000 by allocating 329 stalls (299 local and 30 foreign) at the Dhaka International Trade Fair (DITF).

Responding to Shahjahan Khan (AL), who inquired about any action for the incident of fire at a garments factory in Narsinghdi that killed 39 people, Jalil said a case has been filed against the factory owner for violating the safety rules.

He said the government also set up a monitoring cell to ensure emergency fire exits at the garment factories.

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