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Unresolved issues to top JEC agenda

Nazmul Ahsan
The pending issues like transshipment, free trade agreement (FTA) and trade barriers will figure out prominently during the upcoming India-Bangladesh Joint Economic Commission (JEC) meeting.
Trade imbalance, gas export from Bangladesh and development of road and rail communications between the two next door neighbours will also be discussed at the meeting, sources said.
The two-day talks will begin in Dhaka next Tuesday after a six-year lull.
Indian Foreign Minister Yashwant Sinha will lead the Indian delegation while his Bangladesh counterpart M Morshad Khan the home side during the meet to be held at the National Economic Council (NEC) auditorium.
India has long been pressing Bangladesh for signing agreements on transshipment, transit and FTA, besides showing interest in importing gas from Bangladesh.
Bangladesh, since 1997 when the last meeting of the JEC was held, has been assuring India of discussing those issues, particularly relating to transit, transshipment and border trade, at the next JEC meeting.
During the last two bilateral trade talks between Dhaka and New Delhi held in 2002 and this year, Bangladesh had avoided the issues by referring those to the JEC meeting as a genuine forum for such discussions, sources said.
However, Bangladesh might discuss transshipment, border trade and transit in the upcoming meeting, a foreign ministry official told The Daily Star, preferring anonymity.
Sources said the government has not so far decided on the above mentioned issues due to differences of opinion in the ruling alliance. Alliance partner Jamaat-e-Islami is against giving transshipment and transit facilities to India, they said. Besides, a few influential ministers in the cabinet were also known to be against such move fearing adverse reaction in the political front.
Earlier, the finance ministry opposed a commerce ministry decision in allowing movement of Indian goods from one State to another through Bangladesh territory.
The commerce ministry gave permission to a private firm to reexport Indian goods, which had also been stopped due to the opposite stance of the two ministries, sources said.
As far as FTA is concerned, Bangladesh's response will be positive at the upcoming meeting which is likely to set specific timeframe to initiate dialogue on a bilateral trade pact between Dhaka and New Delhi.
"Dhaka might opt for study and assessment to reach a consensus on transshipment, transit and gas export to India during the JEC meeting," a high official in the economic relations division (ERD) said.
On the issue of non-tariff barriers, often imposed on Bangladesh export items to Indian market, Dhaka would seek duty-free entry of all Bangladeshi items to India to
reduce the trade gap.
During the recent visit of Finance Minister M Saifur Rahman to India his Indian counterpart had argued that the trade gap between the two countries could only be minimised once Bangladesh exports its natural gas to India.
Presently, trade is heavily tilted in favour of India as the official trade deficit during 2001-2002 was to the tune of 1.1 billion US dollars.
The JEC meeting would discuss an Indian proposal of introduction of Dhaka-Agartala bus service, and Akhaura-Agartala and Sealdah-Jamuna train services.
When asked, Commerce Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury told The Daily Star that the upcoming JEC meeting would discuss all bilateral issues of mutual interest. He, however, refused to make any comment on Bangladesh's position on transshipment, transit, gas and transit issues.