"You have to allow products from outside as per the WTO rules, no matter if your own products remain unsold," Assistant Executive Director of Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies (BILS) Syed Sultan Uddin Ahmed said at the seminar held at the CIRDAP auditorium.

He said: "In the name of globalisation and free market economy, we've limited the role of a state within the facilitation of investment and contracts with international donors and multinationals."

He said the country's highest-level policymaking bodies spent much time on discussing the issues relating to the investment offer of Tata in Bangladesh. "If half of that had been spent before the closure of Chittagong Steel Mill, Gazipur Machine Tools Factory, Khulna

Newsprint, Rajshahi Silk Mill and Adamjee Jute Mills, I strongly believe the history of industrialisation in Bangladesh could have been written in a different way," he said.

Sultan said the national policy has been changed as per the advice, suggestions and conditions of the WTO. "As a result, the industries once run on our own products and raw materials have been closed down and in the name of earning much more foreign exchange," he added.

Speaking on the occasion, trade policy advisor of Oxfam America Katherine Daniels stressed the need for a united movement of all LDCs to achieve their desired goals.

President of Karmajibi Nari Shirin Akhter presided over the seminar titled 'LDCs in Doha Round, WTO'. Director of Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) Dr Mustafizur Rahman moderated the programme.

Oxfam Programme Coordinator Ziaul Hoque Mukta, UNDP Trade and Development Specialist Sabrina Verma, Commerce Ministry WTO Cell Director Sharifa Khan, also spoke at the seminar.