Illegal trade exceeds legal deals with Bangladesh

There existed immense potential for trade with Bangladesh, but the trade figures that had emerged indicated that the volume of goods exchanged as contraband between the two countries was far in excess of the legal trade.

Illegal trade across the Bangladesh border through northeast India and Bengal in 2001-02 was about eight times the legal trade for goods imported into India whereaas illegal exports was double the volume of legal exports.

This was stated by S K Jain, chairman, Federation of Indian Export Organization eastern region at a workshop on "Trade with India's neighbours "" Issues and prospects," organised by the Bengal Chamber of Commerce & Industry.

Trade related topics as opportunities, prospects and constraints of India and its neighbours, namely Bangladesh, Myanmar and Thailand were discussed at the workshop by officials like the Joint Director General of Foreign Trade, customs commissioners, consular corps and exporters. R S Jhawar of BCCI conducted the proceedings.

S Nandwani, JDGFT Kolkata, praised the 26 joint ventures that India is into with Thailand.

Information technology, pharmaceuticals , herbal-based medicines and cosmetics, dairy developments and products, space technology, biotechnology and biomass projects and some others have been identified as the potential areas for Indian investment in Thailand.

M T Hossain, deputy high commissioner of Bangladesh, pointed out the practical difficulties faced by traders. These included lack of banking facilities and the fear in the mind of Bangladeshi producers regarding the free trade agreement in the south Asian region.

About the various routes of trading with Bangladesh, Lipika Majumdar Roy Choudhury, commissioner of customs (preventive), suggested riverine route to be taken up as a major mode of transport.