DHAKA NEWS
Dhaka, Feb 25 Bangladesh needs to develop its infrastructure, which is 'unfit' for transit, finance minister A M A Muhith said on Saturday.
"Transit is required to increase regional trade and investment, but it requires development of infrastructure. The existing infrastructure is not that fit for transit," Muhith told the inauguration of a dialogue.
Transit between Bangladesh and India has been there ever since the division of the Indian subcontinent into India and Pakistan, he said.
"There had been a pause for the India-Pakistan war in 1965.
"Despite the efforts to achieve the highest benefit from it, we have got the lowest," Muhith added.
The finance minister also emphasised the necessity to form a separate board on trade, investment and fuel in order to improve regional trade, "which is stuck at five percent".
Indian high commissioner Sanjay Bhattacharyya was present at the seminar as the special guest while PKSF chairman Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad and CRRID executive vice chairman Rashpal Malhotra co-chaired the programme.
The Indian high commissioner said, "Some of the infrastructure projects with the Indian loan worth $ 1 billion have seen significant progress.
"Besides, India is always ready to accept Bangladeshi products."
The two-day dialogue, jointly organised by Bangladesh Unnayan Parishad (BUP) and Centre for Research in Rural and Industrial Development (CRRID) is being held at Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF) in the city's Agargaon.
Dhaka School of Economics (DScE) and PKSF joined hands with BUP and CRRID to organise the dialogue, 'Cooperative Development, Peace and Security in South and Central Asia: Strengthening India-Bangladesh Relations'.
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