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Export to Bhutan increased four times over last four years |
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May 17, 2000
Dhaka, May 16 (UNB) – Although traders were not interested much to penetrate the Bhutanese market export to that country increased four times over the last four years due to growing demand of Bangladesh products. Bhutan’s imports of Rs 9 million (India Rupee) in 1995 from Bangladesh jumped to Rs 40 million in 1998, a senior official of Bhutan told a meeting here today. Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) organised the meeting at its auditorium in the evening to exchange views with the delegation from Bhutan now visiting Dhaka. Director general of Royal Bhutanese Ministry of Trade and Commerce Achyut Bhandari led the six-member delegation while FBCCI vice-president MA Mumin chaired the meeting. Bhandari said trade between the two countries picked up in 1988 and was growing steadily. “Over the last 3 to 4 years, the import into Bhutan from Bangladesh has been rising by an average 25 per cent.” He said he found few Bhutanese when he went for shopping in the city’s Elephent Road. The demand for Bangladeshi goods has been growing among them, he added. Bhandari appreciated the quality of melamine products, snacks and other food items, toiletries, battery and jute carpets and said such goods would be of high demand in the Bhutanese market. Many Bangladesh items would be more competitive in the Bhutanese market than Indian, Taiwan, Thailand and Chinese products, he added. He said Bhutan did not open its market to any other countries except for India. But, Bangladesh can now enjoy the same facilities as Bhutan is evolving more liberalised trade with Bangladesh, Bhandari said adding that Bangladesh has already been enjoying free trade facilities on a number of items.
“Although it’s a small market of 6,00,000 people, ours is a growing market where purchasing power of the people is rising. It can be a sustainable market for Bangladesh Products,” he said adding that the per capita income in Bhutan is US$ 640, which projected to be doubled in next 4 to 5 years. |