India has assured visiting Awami League leaders that it will resume the export of non-basmati rice and perishable goods to Bangladesh.
The export will begin after the volatility of the Indian market subsides, India’s Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal told AL leaders.
An Awami League delegation, led by Agriculture Minister Dr Abdur Razzak, met Piyush Goyal in New Delhi on Tuesday.
The delegation also included AL Joint General Secretary and Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud, the party’s Organising Secretary Sujit Roy Nandi, Aroma Dutta, MP, and Prof Marina Jahan, MP.
India, the world’s largest rice exporter, banned exports of non-basmati rice on July 20. It is seeking to tame surging domestic food prices and ensure adequate domestic availability at affordable prices.
Many Asian countries have been affected by the export ban.
The Indian minister suggested to the visiting delegation that they propose some items which India can import, thereby reducing the trade gap.Other than rice, the delegation also urged a steady supply of perishable goods like onions and green chillies.
Apart from issues relating to trade and business, Bangladeshi political issues also came up for discussion, Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud told reporters.
Piyush Goyal is understood to have attached importance to the political stability of Bangladesh and enquired about the current situation of the country.
He observed that whatever happens in Bangladesh has a direct impact on India, and for that reason, India wants to see a peaceful, stable, and prosperous Bangladesh.
Lauding Bangladesh’s enormous socioeconomic progress during the last decade under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Goyal expressed hope that Bangladesh will develop further through political stability in the days to come. He also said that the economic partnership agreement will create a win-win situation for both countries and it will help Bangladesh reduce the trade gap immensely.
The Indian minister told the delegation that as a close neighbour and friend, India always considers all issues of Bangladesh when they come to India’s cognizance.