Vikram Kumar Doraiswami
CEPA to be a gamechanger for Dhaka-Delhi trade ties: Doraiswami
The Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between Bangladesh and India will be a gamechanger for bilateral trade partnership, says Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Vikram Kumar Doraiswami.
CEPA is under active discussion of both the governments, he said while addressing a virtual event on Wednesday.
High Commissioner Doraiswami highlighted Duty-Free Quota-Free market access available to Bangladesh products under SAFTA since 2011.
He said India’s vast consumer market offers enormous opportunities for the quality food products from Bangladesh and underscored the importance of linkages among trade bodies.
The High Commissioner also emphasized the importance of finalizing reciprocal arrangements with regard to food safety standards and rapid upgradation of logistics to enhance such trade.
Also read: Greater trade, connectivity hold brighter future for Dhaka-Delhi ties: Doraiswami
Focusing on Bangladesh-India trade agricultural and processed food products, Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) in association with Bangladesh Fresh Fruits Importers Association and India Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry organised the virtual conference and India-Bangladesh Trade Fair on Agri Products.
Serum may resume vaccine export in July/August
India, depending on the scale of production of vaccines within the country, is aiming at July-end or August to at least release those vaccines that have been bought by Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal and are now in pending status, reported The Print on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Vikram Kumar Doraiswami had an "informal meeting" with State Minister for Foreign Affairs M Shahriar Alam on Wednesday at his office at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
However, neither side revealed what they discussed.
Also read: Let's see what can be done, have patience: PM about vaccine management
Bangladesh entered into a deal with the Serum Institute of India (SII) to purchase 30 million doses of a potential vaccine being developed by AstraZeneca for Covid-19.
Bangladesh was supposed to get five million doses of vaccine per month as the SII and Bangladesh’s Beximco Pharma signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for priority delivery of the vaccine doses.
Also read: Bangladesh rolls out Pfizer vaccine at 3 Dhaka centers
Bangladesh sought at least 3 million doses of vaccine under the agreement to address the immediate demand in Bangladesh.
Bangladesh has so far received only 7 million of Oxford-AstraZeneca covid-19 vaccine doses produced by Serum Institute of India (SII) through its contract. Bangladesh also received 3.3 million doses of vaccine as a bilateral partnership gift.
Greater trade, connectivity hold brighter future for Dhaka-Delhi ties: Doraiswami
Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Vikram Kumar Doraiswami has said trade will be potentially a key driver of Bangladesh-India friendship in the future with focus on value addition to products but the environment will remain an important issue to look at.
“We should look at trade and a whole new framework. I believe trade will be potentially a key driver of our friendship in the future,” he said, adding that the two countries need to be futuristic about how to deal with the next generation of issues.
High Commissioner Doraiswami made the remarks while delivering a keynote speech at a symposium titled ‘Bangladesh-India Relations: Prognosis for the Future’ which premiered on Thursday night on Facebook.
An array of experts from Bangladesh and India – former Ambassador Tariq A. Karim, Director, Institute of South Asian Studies, National University of Singapore Prof C. Raja Mohan, Dhaka University Prof Imtiaz Ahmed, former Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty, Distinguished Fellow, Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya, Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies (BIPSS) President Maj Gen (Retd) A. N. M. Muniruzzaman, CPD Executive Director Dr Fahmida Khatun, Brig. Gen.(Retd.) Shahedul Anam Khan and former Indian Foreign Secretary Krishnan Srinivasan - were brought together for the online symposium to assess the state of relations between the two countries and identify the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead in the effort to take it forward.
Renowned scholar-diplomat and adviser on foreign affairs to the last caretaker government Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury chaired the event hosted by the Cosmos Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Cosmos Group. Chairman of Cosmos Foundation Enayetullah Khan delivered the opening remarks at the event.
For future trade, High Commissioner Doraiswami laid emphasis on some areas in which Bangladesh could provide India a key base for value addition, including to food production and RMG and textile.
Dhaka, Delhi to accelerate momentum; eye next 50 years of diversified ties
Bangladesh and India have agreed to accelerate the momentum that exists between the countries with an eye on the next 50 years of cooperation in diversified areas.
Emphasis was also put on enhanced connectivity, not just between Bangladesh and India but beyond the two countries to ensure broader economic benefits.
“We not only need to continue the momentum, we need to accelerate the momentum,” Indian Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said sharing the outcome of talks between Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on Saturday evening.
Modi had a “productive meeting” with Hasina and reviewed the full range of Bangladesh-India relations and discussed ways to deepen economic and cultural linkages in the times to come.
He said Prime Minister Hasina raised the Teesta issue while the Indian Prime Minister reiterated India's commitment to that end, sharing India’s sincere and continued efforts to conclude the agreement.
Also read: Hasina seeks fair share of Teesta water
The Indian Foreign Secretary said cooperation in the areas of common rivers water is an important issue.
Jaishankar wraps up brief visit reaffirming robust Dhaka-Delhi ties
Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar concluded his day-long visit here on Thursday night reaffirming the robust Bangladesh-India partnership.
Doraiswami for Dhaka-Delhi best possible understanding
Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Vikram Kumar Doraiswami on Monday laid emphasis on ensuring the best possible understanding between Bangladesh and India, as the two countries are set to take the ties to a new height.
Doraiswami for infrastructure dev to boost Bangladesh-India trade
Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Vikram Kumar Doraiswami on Tuesday said Bangladesh can export edible oil to India with at 20 percent value addition to the product.
India offers Covid vaccine for Bangladesh army
Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Vikram Kumar Doraiswami on Monday said India has offered Covid-19 vaccine shots for Bangladesh Army.
Trial of Pakistan's 1971 Genocide: It's for Bangladesh to decide
Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Vikram Kumar Doraiswami on Monday indicated the trial of Pakistani genocide committed during the 1971 Liberation War can take place anytime as there is no statute of limitations in terms of times.
Dhaka-Delhi ties to get stronger with Modi’s imminent visit: Doraiswami
India has said it is committed to taking forward the strong relations with Bangladesh in the next 50 years and beyond focusing on mutual benefits and expanding it to all the sectors, noting that India never shows any ‘big-brother’ attitude towards Bangladesh.