Afghanistan looks for direct trade with Bangladesh

Dhaka, October 28, 2004 - Transitional state of Afghanistan expressed interest in setting up direct business link with Bangladesh as the former found a huge business scope left unexplored for both the countries.

"Afghanistan now would like to establish direct business relation to facilitate export and import with Bangladesh," Afghan Ambassador in Dhaka Akmal Ghani told reporters after a meeting with chief of Bangladesh's business apex body FBCCI, Abdul Awal Mintoo, on Thursday.

Ambassador Ghani pointed out that said Bangladeshi have the opportunity to enter into the markets of CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) countries through Afghanistan and underscored the need for an intense business relation between the two counties.

Presently, direct trade volume between Bangladesh and Afghanistan is insignificant, but Bangladeshi goods like tea and jute products go to Afghan markets through Pakistani importers.

Statistic available with the Bangladesh's Export Promotion Bureau show that in the just-ended 2003-04 fiscal year, Bangladesh exported products worth 4.19 million dollars, mostly tea, to Afghanistan.

In the previous two fiscals, Bangladeshi exports to Afghanistan amounted to 3.09 million dollars and 7.3 million dollars respectively.

Ambassador Ghani also mentioned that as Afghanistan is located in the central part of Asia, it is very easy for Bangladesh to transshipment and trade with Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and other central Asian countries through Afghanistan.

The ambassador emphasized that direct contact between the apex chambers of the two countries while the FBCCI president agreed that business relation and people to people relation between Bangladesh and Afghanistan is very important for the trade interest of both sides.(ANI)