Dhaka, June 08: Hostile relations with India are not in Bangladesh's interest and steps should be taken to increase cooperation with New Delhi, a minister in the Khaleda Zia government has said. "We have to realize our demands and also derive benefits from New Delhi by convincing India and not through hostile attitude," Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Moudud Ahmed was quoted as saying here.
"We need to shape our policy in that context".
"India factor is important not only for political reasons but also for economic reasons. We must realize that India now posed to enter the central stage of globalised world," Ahmed told a conference attended by Foreign Minister Morshed Khan, Commerce Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, senior officials, business leaders and economists, according to the daily 'The Bangladesh Observer'.
"Hostility has to be replaced by cooperation," Ahmed said.
At present Bangladesh is India's fourth largest trading partner and within few years it will become New Delhi's second biggest market.
"If we want to bridge the prevailing huge trade gap, relations (with India) have to be improved," the minister said, adding it could be achieved through cooperation only.
Economist Debapriya Bhattacharya while referring to free trade proposed by India said Bangladesh could benefit from it if there were adequate "safeguards".
Bangladesh cannot "survive" if the present trend of one sided trade with India continued, Jamalauddin Ahmed, a former deputy prime minister under General Ziaur Rahman, late husband of Zia, said. Bureau Report