Tofail hopes India will resolve Teesta issue soon
Commerce minister Tofail Ahmed has said that most of the outstanding problems with India have been settled, except the Teesta river water sharing issue. I hope it will be settled soon, he said. As chief guest, the minister was addressing a meeting ahead of the 68th Republic Day of India, organised by the Bangladesh-India Friendship Society at the Diploma Engineers Institute at Kakrail in the city yesterday (Friday). Presided over by president of the society, Professor Emeritus Dr AK Azad Chowdhury, Indian high commissioner Harsh Vardhan Shringla, chief news editor and managing director of Ekattor TV Mozammel Haque Babu, Bangladesh-India Friendship Society general secretary Subir Kushari, among others, spoke on the occasion. Tofail urged the Indian government to withdraw the recently-imposed anti-dumping duty on Bangladeshi jute products. Its a matter of great regret that India has imposed anti-dumping duty on Bangladesh jute goods that are supposed to enjoy duty and quota-free access to it, he said. Tofail said India once provided duty and quota-free access of all Bangladesh products, except liquor and tobacco, to its market. Bur the Indian government recently imposed anti-dumping duty and realised 2.5 per cent countervailing duty from many other products. Tofail, however, expressed hope that India would soon remove all trade barriers to further boost ties. Speaking on the trade gap, the commerce minister said both the countries are working towards reducing the imbalance. Harsh Vardhan Shringla said relations between the two countries are deep-rooted and bilateral ties have reached a new high.
