India is Bangladesh's largest export destination in Asia: Indian High Commissioner

Dhaka, Feb 13 (IANS) Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pranay Verma said New Delhi was today Dhaka's largest export destination in Asia, and hoped that better connectivity links and new measures like trade in Indian Rupee will further enhance exports to India.

Verma's remark came after Shipping Minister Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury inaugurated the Sultanganj port on Monday, establishing naval connectivity between Bangladesh's Rajshahi and India's Murshidabad.

"With our contiguous geography and shared history and culture, we are actually re-connecting our two countries," Verma said.

This inauguration marks the first of the five trial movements of cargo vessels between Maia Port in India and Sultanganj, Godagari Port of Call in Bangladesh on Indo Bangladesh Protocol (IBP) Route 5 and 6.

There is significant potential for cargo movement through this IBP Route, which is expected to give new impetus to the Inland waterways ecosystem in both countries.

Verma said that the re-opening of the Maia-Sultanganj river route is a step which will benefit the local economies on the two sides of the border as well as also contribute to national economies and strengthen sub-regional cooperation and integration.

The High Commissioner said negotiation on the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between India and Bangladesh is going to start soon.