Bangladesh more business friendly than many others, says Indian minister

Indian Union Minister Jitendra Singh has said it is easier to do business with Bangladesh than with many other countries.

The minister made the remark at a video conference referring to the traditionally friendly relations between the two countries on Monday, The Outlook reported.  

Bangladesh Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma and Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Riva Ganguli Das attended the conference, among others.  

As for Bangladesh, Singh said, the Indo-Bangladesh treaty for exchange of enclaves, which was accomplished under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had cleared the decks for ease of business, ease of movement and ease of commuting, which was earlier a tedious task.

Addressing the Indo-Bangladesh virtual conference organised by ASSOCHAM, the minister said this should have been done four-and-half decades ago, right at the time of birth of Bangladesh, but possibly it was not the priority of the earlier governments.

"New paradigms will emerge after the coronavirus pandemic is over with the potential for new breakthrough in economy, trade, scientific research and several other diverse areas, he said. 

In the last six years, the northeastern region has made up for several lapses of the past because for the first time, the region received equal attention on par with the other parts of the country, the minister said. 

In addition, he said, the northeastern region has a critical role to play to boost trade and business between the two countries.  

In the emerging scenario, the minister said bamboo from the Northeast is going to be an important vehicle of trade not only for India but also for the entire subcontinent, particularly countries like Bangladesh.

Referring to the development initiatives taken in the northeast, the Union Minister for the Development of the North Eastern Region (DoNER) said such steps not only instilled confidence among the people but also raised the capacity to engage with other parts of India as well as countries across the eastern borders.