Dhaka, Oct 31: Bangladesh will not sign the Free Trade Agreement with India unless the country removes non-tariff and para-tariff barriers, commerce minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhry has said. "Bangladesh would not sign FTA with India unless she removes non-tariff and para-tariff barriers," Chowdhry was quoted as saying by the "Independent" daily today.

"We would not go for any FTA with India if it continues to be unflinching in removing non-tariff barriers. We will also comply with the framework of the WTO while stitching up the accord,"said the minister.

While referring to the just concluded Dhaka-Delhi trade talks, Chowdhry agreed that "progress was made in some areas" but in other areas it "remained still untouched".
Meanwhile, the outgoing Indian high commissioner Mani Lal Tripathy, who is leaving for home today, told reporters that India-Bangladesh FTA would open up the vast Indian market for Bangladeshi exports thus helping reduce the trade gap between the two countries.

"FTA's are the only way forward in the near future given the stalemate in international and regional trade arena," he said. Bureau Report