DHAKA: Bangladesh high commissioner to India Tariq A Karim said India should not back off from the promise to supply cotton to his country despite New Delhi’s decision to freeze cotton export in the coming season.

Speaking at an interaction organised by the Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Coimbatore chapter on Monday evening, Karim added that Bangladesh’s total cotton requirement would be around 40 lakh bales and it was dependant on India for about 15 lakh bales.

Though India at the moment has promised to supply cotton to Bangladesh this year, it is yet to be officially inked on paper yet.

Karim said, “We are hoping that the Indian government will keep the promise and not withhold the supply of cotton to Bangladesh in the coming cotton season.”

Karim claimed that co-operation between the two countries, both major textiles exporters, was for mutual benefit.

He also claimed that Bangladesh has taken enough steps to rectify issues including labour abuse and poor working conditions, which were revealed after a building collapse that killed over 1,000 workers, mostly women.

The tragedy had unleashed an international outcry over the poor working conditions and labour exploitation in the country.

“We are taking measures to improve the working condition of our workers. About 74% of our export revenue is from the garment sector and 80% of our industrial work force is made up of women. We have a very forward and progressive society where women are working to break the gender divide,” Karim claimed.

Karim, however, side stepped the question on Tirupur garment cluster which competes with Bangladesh in the international export sector.

He attributed Bangladesh’s success in the garment export sector to pure economics claiming that his country was able to supply finished goods at a lower rate. He even claimed that the Indian garment exporters should scout the possibility of setting up units in Bangladesh and utilise the cheaper labour force available in India. “It is the basic business principle and that is why Bangladesh is preferred destination for the international buyers,” Karim claimed.

Karim and Bangladesh minister for commerce Mohammed Habibur Rahman Khan also invited a delegation from the Coimbatore industrial sector to visit their country in the coming months.

Though it was his first visit to Coimbatore, Karim said the city and the region could collaborate in joint investment ventures in the field of Information Technology, infrastructure, education, health care and food processing.

Source: TOI
BDST: 0931 HRS, SEP 24, 2013
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