রবিবার, ১০ মে ২০২৬, ১১:২৫ পূর্বাহ্ন
It is essential to establish trading partnerships through an efficient Regional Trade Agreement (RTAs) to take advantage of market opportunities and trade potential in neighbouring countries centring the Bay of Bengal, the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) recommended today (10 March).
“We believe no region can prosper without connectivity. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations [ASEAN] and the European Union are the best examples of how to utilise potential through connectivity. But our region is not that integrated in trade as we could not unlock the potentials,” Dr Fahmida Khatun, executive director of CPD, said at the seminar titled “Multilayer connectivity in the Bay of Bengal: Positioning Bangladesh as an economic hub”.
Our unique geographical location is an asset, she added at the event jointly organised by the CPD and the Embassy of Japan in Dhaka at the embassy premise.
As the keynote presenter, Syed Yusuf Saadat, research fellow, CPD, said, “Efficient RTAs include standard preferential tariff structure, rules of origin, smooth supply chain operation, trade facilitation across borders, digital trade process, and strong dispute resolution mechanism”.
He talked about the trade’s untapped potentials centring the Bay of Bengal for countries including Bangladesh, North East India, Nepal and Bhutan.
