Power import from India to double by June: Shringla

Bangladesh's electricity import from India will double to 1,200 MW by June this year, said Indian High Commissioner Harsh Vardhan Shringla yesterday.

The policymakers have already discussed the issues related to the import, Shringla said.

Bangladesh already imports 660MW of electricity from India.

Shringla's comments came in a seminar styled “Bangladesh-Indian business opportunities”, jointly organised by the International Business Forum of Bangladesh (IBFB) and the Indian Importers Chambers of Commerce and Industry (IICCI) at the capital's Westin hotel.

India is working to remove all the barriers to ensure duty-free access for Bangladeshi products, he said.

The work is also going on in full swing to open branches of the Indian high commission in Sylhet and Khulna.

Both the countries need to use each other's infrastructures and strengths for the sake of mutual benefits, he said.

Bangladeshi garment exporters have recently proposed using Indian airports to export their goods to avoid the congestion and cargo banning, he said.

“Similarly people of Meghalaya like to come to Sylhet to catch a flight to London rather than go to Kolkata.”

The diplomat said the two countries are working with the ICT sector and also taking steps to improve the capacity of seaports, boost rail communication and improve other infrastructures.

There is a huge potential for bilateral trade and businesspeople should understand the market and find ways to reduce the trade gap, he said.

The two neighbouring countries should also upgrade infrastructure of their border areas to boost bilateral trade.

“We export a very few products to India and the Indian authorities have imposed antidumping duties on most of the products,” said Md Hafizur Rahman, a joint secretary of commerce ministry and the director of the World Trade Organisation cell under the ministry.  These barriers need to be lifted to create a business-friendly environment, he said.

Bangladesh can act as the nearest and most cost-effective source of goods for the northeast region of India, said Hafizur Rahman Khan, president of IBFB. Khan also pointed out the problems of the less equipped Indian land ports and asked their authorities to improve them.

In his presentation, TK Panday, director of IICCI, said Bangladeshi entrepreneurs can also step into the food processing business as there is a huge demand for fruits and vegetables in India like cabbage, cauliflower, tomato, mango and pineapple.

Bangladesh has huge business potential in food processing. “India is a $1.3 trillion market now,” he said.

The Indian business leaders also shed light on Bangladesh's photocopy papers, paper industries and ceramics as well.