Urge to increase communication in economic development

A consultative meeting was held in Sylhet to enhance regional connectivity between Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Bhutan. The meeting was held in the conference room of the Sylhet Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Jail Road area of the city on Wednesday at 10 am.

The meeting was organized by Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) and UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNSCAP). It was organized by Sylhet Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The consultative meeting was addressed by Mikiko Tanaka, Director and Head of the South and Southwest Asia Office of UNSCAP; BIISS Director of Research Mahfuz Kabir; President of Sylhet Chamber of Commerce and Industry Tahmin Ahmad; Director of the South Asia Wing of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Arifur Rahman; Ranjan S. Ratna, Deputy Head of UNSCAP South and Southwest Asia Office and Professor Fazle Elahi Faisal of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology.

The speakers said that regional connectivity should be developed between the neighboring countries through the Asian Highway and Trans-Asian Railway Network due to its geographical advantage. If this can be done, there will be an unprecedented development in the business and economic sectors of these regions. For the socio-economic development of Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Bhutan, there is a need to increase road, rail and sea connectivity and increase patronage and facilities for women entrepreneurs, small and medium sector entrepreneurs.

Addressing the problems in the socio-economic development of the BBIN countries, the speakers said that the private sector is an important tool for the country's economic growth. However, due to lack of proper data collection, development in this sector is hindered. Therefore, the private sector should play a stronger role in addition to increasing discussions with various organizations of the government to eliminate the existing problems in the business and trade sector.

President of Sylhet Chamber Tahmin Ahmad in his speech called upon all concerned to take initiative in developing import-export trade between India and Bangladesh by constructing a bridge over the Kushiara River bordering Jokiganj of Sylhet and India's Karimganj and removing trade deficits to remove obstacles in the export of Bangladeshi products to India.

Apart from this, the speakers in the meeting presented various proposals including removing the certificate problem in the export of Bangladeshi products to India, applying the same certificate among BBIN countries, abolishing 10 percent state development tax on export products, providing transit facilities for Bangladeshi products to Nepal and Bhutan, and increasing the presence of Indian buyers at border huts.

Members of the UNSCAP delegation Azhar J Ducrest, Joseph George, Palash Srivastava, Pragyanjan Tarafdar, Sumant Biswas, Majedul Islam, Sylhet Chamber Senior Vice President Falah Uddin Ali Ahmad, Director Mujibur Rahman Mintu, Alimul Ehchan Chowdhury, Members Moinul Islam, Nihar Ranjan Das, Arif Hossain, Sylhet Chamber Secretary Golam spoke among others. Akhter Farooq and others.

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