Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) on Sunday called for addressing the issues of connectivity and infrastructure development to further increase bilateral trade between Bangladesh and India. “India is a big market for locally made apparel items. Bangladesh also imports many products including fabrics from there,” BGMEA president Dr Rubana Huq said. Terming it a ‘win-win situation’, she said there are huge potentials to further increase the trade between the two neighbouring countries. The BGMEA’s chief made the remarks after a meeting with Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Riva Ganguly Das at the BGMEA headquarters in the city. Ms Das said the readymade garment (RMG) is a very important sector for Bangladesh and the country’s garment exports to India increased due to the trade agreement between the two countries. They also discussed about possible ways of enhancing bilateral trade in the coming days. BGMEA vice presidents Faisal Samad and Moshiul Azam Sajal, among others, were present in the meeting. According to BGMEA, Bangladesh imported $2.45 billion worth of cotton and fabrics in 2018 from India. The country fetched $ 1.24 billion from exports to India in the last fiscal year. Of the amount, $ 499.09 million came from garment exports. Bangladesh’s garment exports to India grew by more than 79 per cent in the just concluded fiscal year (2018-19) than that of the corresponding period of previous fiscal year, according to available data.
