K Subrahmanyam forgets to mention that Bangladesh provides India the most liberal access to its market while India has practiced the most restrictive trade policy toward Bangladesh.
Any visitor to Bangladesh will see an abundance of Indian goods and services in Bangladesh. Trade imbalance is 10 to 1 in India's favor. On the other hand, India has gone out of its way to restrict goods from Bangladesh to Indian markets, especially markets in Tripura, Assam and West Bengal. There is a huge demand in bordering Indian states for products from Bangladesh.
An average Indian outside the eastern states is not aware of the fact that quality of Bangladeshi products, especially in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, plastic goods, leather and garments are excellent. Bangladesh has a sizable market for its medicine in Europe and Africa. It is a major supplier of garments to Europe and USA. It is also a major tea exporter.
India had recently banned import of medicine and cosmetics from Bangladesh using some law from British period which prohibits import of such items using land routes. The issue was resolved during Pranab Mukherjee%u2019s visit to Dhaka. Consider how people of Bangladesh feel when India wants access to its roads and railways for transit while setting up such restrictions.
Indian tea producers have blocked Bangladesh Tea from Indian market. There are many experts who feel that importing tea from Bangladesh will not only bring lower prices to the Indian consumer, it will allow India to export more of its higher quality tea to the world market.
West Bengal restricts import of Bengali books and magazines from Bangladesh. Contrast this with the fact that more than 60% of Bengali books and magazines published in West Bengal are for market in Bangladesh. While numerous Indian TV channels are available in Bangladesh, Indian government bans Bangladeshi channels in India.
RE:K Subrahmanyam's Bangaldesh Bashing
by G S on Mar 30, 2007 12:22 AM Permalink
Yes I agree, and we should work towards correcting this by being positive. We indians see bangladesh as close friend and their problem needs to be resolved. On paper bangladesh is not offering MFN to india because of these situations which are not insurmountable. Mr. K Subramanyam is going by policy and not reality and can not be blamed for this, here.
RE:K Subrahmanyam's Bangaldesh Bashing
by Kiran Tauro on Mar 30, 2007 04:15 PM Permalink
Well if Bangladesh is so eager to sell to India, why is it refusing to give India MFN status? India will inevitably have to do the same. Also I find your allegations hard to believe - for many years India had unilaterally given MFN status to Pak even though pak did not give MFN to India. I am not sure about the status with Bangladesh though. But if Bangladesh wants to trade more with India, the ball is clearly in their court now.
RE:RE:K Subrahmanyam's Bangaldesh Bashing
by M Alem on Mar 30, 2007 09:51 PM Permalink
Dear Kiran, thank you for reading my two cents worth. I hope we do not have any animosity toward each other and do it in the right spirit.
India does not need any MNF status as it already has wide access to BD market. It should just remove the ridiculous trade barriers it set up some of which I specifically mentioned in my posting.
Many in Dhaka feel that even if BD conveys to India that it will grant India MNF status, India will drag its foot as India is looking for a package deal with BD that must include transit. This is not politically possible in BD. BNP, which ruled BD for last ten of fifteen years, uses anti-Indian rhetoric to win votes. Their rival Awami League will commit political suicide if they grant transit to India.
Also, many of India%u2019s neighbors feel that India does not live up to its treaty obligation. You may not be aware that there are thirty year old treaties between BD and India that BD ratified long ago that India has not yet ratified.
RE:K Subrahmanyam's Bangaldesh Bashing
by G S on Mar 31, 2007 12:32 AM Permalink
Well Pranab has agreed to remove trade barrier for Pakistan, so it would be much easier for removing it for Bangaldesh. Also India already grants MFN to dhaka I believe , correct me if i am wrong. Treaties etc are handled by politicians who are driven mostly by their own interest. Just like you mentioned of politicians in bangladehs. So for that u can not feel bad about india. This contradicting issues or irritants can be dealt by Govt. in mutual harmony. Believe me for bangladesh and india to resolve all this would be lot easier than some other SARC countries
