Bangladeshi traders and importers see big potential in importing dates and oranges, as well as other fruit and agricultural products, from Pakistan to meet demand during Ramadan and throughout the year. They also believe there is potential for exporting various Bangladeshi products to Pakistan. Business leaders of both countries called for tariff and non-tariff barriers between the two countries to be removed.

These views came up at a meeting on Wednesday, 22 January, in Gulshan in the capital between the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI), the country's apex business body, and a Pakistani business delegation.

FBCCI administrator Hafizur Rahman presided over the meeting. In his welcome speech he said demand for dates in Bangladesh is very high during Ramadan, and demand for other fruit also rises at that time. There is also good demand for local and foreign fruit in the local market throughout the year. Pakistan could be an affordable and readily available source of fruit and agricultural products for Bangladesh, he said.

Stressing the need to increase bilateral trade between Bangladesh and Pakistan, he said there is scope to expand trade through joint ventures and mutual cooperation in the private sector. He also stressed the importance of signing a Bangladesh–Pakistan trade agreement.

Business people from both countries emphasised improving logistics, the supply chain, cold storage, packaging and transport to ease and expand trade between Bangladesh and Pakistan.

Present at the meeting were Zain Aziz, trade and investment attaché at the Pakistan High Commission in Dhaka; Zafar Iqbal ndc, head of FBCCI's international affairs division; FBCCI leaders; members of the Pakistani business delegation; and leaders of the Bangladesh Fresh Fruits Importers Association, among others.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.