Talking to mediapersons here today president of SAARC Chamber of Commerce Annisul Huq said they had already taken up the issues of extension of SAARC sticker users (Visa exemption facilities) meant basically for business group from 100 to 500 every month and liberalisation of visa policy among SAARC countries.
''All eight countries of SAARC have taken steps to reduce tariff barriers and announced financial incentives for trade development in the region but several non-tariff barriers, including time consuming procedures of getting visa and releasing export consignments, especially between India and Bangladesh, become hindrance,'' Mr Huq said.
Justifying Bangladesh's steps to provide transport logistics at Chittagong and Mongla ports, Mr Huq said, ''Bangladesh would be able to earn at least USD 1.2 billion from this sector every year where recurring investment is extremely low.'' Moreover, Bangladesh has targeted Northeastern markets for exporting international garments and as part of it, the Tripura government has offered a shopping complex in Agartala at an affordable price to Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce to establish Bangla bazaar.
Among SAARC countries, India is the largest trading partner of Bangladesh and export from Bangladesh to India was about USD 358.08 million against its import from that country of USD 31.39 billion in recent years, making the two-way trade at USD 3.74 billion, Mr Huq pointed out.
''On the other hand, two-way trade between Bangladesh and China was about USD 3.21 billion in 2007-08. These two big neighbouring countries contribute about one-sixth of our total foreign trade.
Bangladesh has the longest land border with India - running to nearly 4,096 km,'' he pointed out.
He, however, said Bangladesh was expecting infrastructural support like power supply and availability of raw material, besides investing in resource based industries, while Bangladesh was committed to invest 116 crore Taka for road development from Akhaura (Agartala) Check Post to Brahmanbaria across the border.
He underlined that during the occasion of flagging off the brick export to Tripura in August, Bangladesh Commerce Minister Lt Col (Retd) Muhammad Faruk Khan announced that the government had given priority to upgradation and renovation of 16 kms road inside Bangladesh and it was progressing well.