Bangladesh Government will request India to allow Bangladeshi business cargo shipments, particularly the containers full of readymade garment items outbound to the export destinations, to use Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata (West Bengal).
The issue is expected to bring forward at the next Commerce Secretary-level meeting between Bangladesh and India scheduled to be held on February 7-8 in Dhaka.
The Bangladesh Commerce Ministry discussed the matter of keeping the issues related to the Indian airport use on agenda for the upcoming meeting at a preparatory discussion held at Ministry Office on January 28, 2018.
The Ministry has taken the initiative following a proposal made by MGH Group, a local conglomerate engaged in contract logistics, supply chain solutions, ocean carriers and airlines GSA representations, for allowing transshipment of Bangladeshi cargoes through Benapole-Petrapole land ports to ship those cargoes to the European countries or the US by getting connected from Kolkata airports.
MGH Group sent two separate letters to the Commerce Ministry and Bangladesh National Board of Revenue (NBR) last month, underlining that the Government can avail the benefit under the Bangladesh-India Trade Agreement (BITA), which says the two Governments can make mutually beneficial arrangements for the use of their waterways, roadways and railways for commerce between the two countries, for passage of goods between two places in one country and to third countries.
The officials, however, said that the Ministry might also seek opinions of the stakeholders including Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) and Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) before finalising the agenda.
Meanwhile, Bangladeshi exports, particularly that of readymade garment items, were acutely affected due to lack of airfreight space and other operational challenges at Hazrat ShahJalal International Airport in Dhaka.
Global retailers are also cancelling export orders due to non-arrival of goods at destination on time, whereas Kolkata airport reportedly has more than 40 per cent underutilised cargo capacity.
