Dhaka: Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed urged India to remove tariff and non-tariff barriers for increasing Bangladesh’s exports to India.

‘It is urgent to increase trade cooperation between the two countries by removing the barriers,’ said the commerce minister who is now in India to join the 22^nd Partnership Summit.

Tofail said this while exchanging views with West Bengal Chief Minister Momota Benarjee and Bhutan’s Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay in Kolkata, according to information received here today.

He said Bangladesh wants to increase its export to India as the demand for Bangladesh products in the world market is increasing. Bangladesh is making quick progress in economic and social sectors under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the world’s renowned economic research organizations are highly appreciating Bangladesh’s economic advancement, he added.

Tofail said local and international trade of Bangladesh is increasing because of the government’s business-friendly policy. Cooperation of neighboring countries is urgently needed to increase regional trade, he said, adding that if connectivity is established the regional trade among Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal will increase to a large extent.

Later, Tofail Ahmed held meeting with Indian Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Minister of Railways Suresh Prabhu.

A group of Indian jute traders held meeting with Tofail Ahmed and requested him to take steps to solve the problem of jute export from Bangladesh.

Tofail is scheduled to address the 22^nd edition of the Partnership Summit to be held from January 10 -12 at APIIC Ground, Harbour Park, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India.