Bangladesh earned US Dollar 124.73 billion by exporting readymade garments over the last six and a half years, Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed said in the city on Tuesday, reports BSS. “Bangladesh earned US Dollar 124.73 billion by exporting readymade garments to 140 countries of the world from January, 2008-2009 to May, 2014-2015,” he said in reply to a question raised by treasury bench member Didarul Alam (Chittagong- 4). Responding to another question raised by ruling party lawmaker Enamul Haque (Rajshahi-4), the commerce minister said the government has taken various plans to reduce Bangladesh’s trade gap with India, China and Pakistan. Tofail said India allowed duty-free access of all Bangladeshi products except tobacco and narcotics products from November 9, 2011 following the steps of the Bangladesh government to boost trade with India. He said the efforts for removing duty and non-duty barriers through discussion at different time and levels are underway. “Steps have been undertaken to get duty-free access of a huge number of goods from other SAARC countries under the South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA),” Tofail said. The commerce minister said Bangladesh is participating regularly in the international trade fairs in Guwahati, Kolkata, New Delhi, Shilchar, Mumbai, Ranchi and Bhubaneswar in India to familiarise the Bangladeshi products. “This trend would continue in future,” he said. Tofail Ahmed said Bangladesh is also participating regularly in the international trade fairs in China and other SAARC countries to raise export, familiarise products and expand market. “We are also continuing bilateral and multilateral discussion with different countries to develop our trade ties,” he said. Besides, Tofail said, measures have been taken to increase Bangladesh’s trade contact with the businessmen of China, India and Pakistan. Bangladesh has concluded its last financial year (2014-15) with average inflation of 6.41 per cent. During the last three years, the country registered lowest average annual rate of inflation in FY15. It was 7.35 per cent in FY14 and 6.78 per cent in FY13. However, on the monthly basis, inflation in June, the last month of FY15, rose slightly as it stood at 6.25 per cent, which was 6.19 per cent in May. “The inflation had soared a little in June due to the month of Ramadan,” Planning Minister A H M Mustafa Kamal told reporters while releasing the monthly consumer price index at a briefing at the NEC conference room in the city’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar today. “The government had targeted to contain the annual rate of inflation within 6.50 per cent, and it was possible due to downtrend in fuel price and in other major items alongside stable exchange rate,” he added. The general inflation rate in July last fiscal was 7.04 per cent, that came down to 6.91 per cent in August, 6.84 per cent in September, 6.60 per cent in October, 6.21 per cent November, 6.11 per cent in December and 6.04 per cent in January. Then the general inflation rate soared in February to 6.14 per cent and to 6.27 per cent in March. Apart from the general rate of inflation, both food and non-food inflation rates also posted a rising trend. The food inflation at national level stood at 6.32 per cent in this June, up from 6.23 per cent in May, while the non-food inflation slightly increased to 6.15 per cent in June, which was 6.14 per cent in May. Besides, the inflation at urban level slightly increased to 6.91 per cent in June while it was 5.90 per cent at rural level. At rural, the food inflation also increased to 5.76 per cent in June, up from 5.66 per cent in the previous month, while the non-food inflation increased to 6.16 per cent in June as against 6.14 per cent in May. In urban areas, the food inflation increased to 7.64 per cent in June, up from 7.54 per cent in May. The non-food inflation, however, witnessed a static trend and it stood at 6.14 per cent in June which was also 6.14 per cent in last May. The national rate of wage index witnessed a 9.49 per cent growth in June with 9308.26 points which was 9238.11 point in May.
