ISDS Case Map
Bangladesh
Pakistan and Bangladesh signed four memoranda of understanding (MoUs) on trade, standardisation and quality control, agriculture and tourism on Monday.
Pakistan and Bangladesh have agreed to finalise bilateral free trade area (FTA) agreement within the shortest possible time, by September at the latest, to create scope for easy access of Bangladeshi products to Pakistani market as a measure for reducing the existing trade gap.
Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) asked the Bangladesh to materialize the signing of agreed Free Trade Agreement (FTA) without any further loss of time.
A free trade pact between seven South and Southeast Asia nations was likely to be in place by July 2006, Bangladesh's foreign minister said Monday after a meeting of a regional economic forum.
Foreign Minister M Morshed Khan who formally assumes BIMSTEC chair with the holding of its ministerial meeting here on December 19 said Dhaka wants early enforcement of the FTA in goods in the BIMSTEC region, as production base in Bangladesh is gradually expanding.
Bangladesh and four other countries signed Asia Pacific Trade Agreement (APTA) in China despite Bangladesh's huge trade gap with neighbouring India.
Underscoring the need for a Free Trade Agreement between India and Bangladesh, Indian High Commissioner to Dhaka Veena Sikri today said it was important to overcome a "negative" mindset to help boost trade between the two countries.
Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz emphasizing that Pakistan and Bangladesh have a common heritage and enjoy a special and unique relationship said that we need to work towards free trade agreement.
D-8 region consisting of eight Muslim countries -- Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan and Turkey -- has set the end of 2005 as the target for the finalisation of the last draft of the Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA).
India is keen on signing an FTA with Bangladesh as early as possible but Bangladesh has been rather sceptical about the outcome of such a deal because of the former's alleged protectionist attitude. The findings of a World Bank (WB) study that were made available a couple of days back in Dhaka have, actually, confirmed Bangladesh's worries.
