The India-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IBCCI) accorded a reception to the newly appointed Indian High Commissioner Pranay Verma at a city hotel on Monday, reports UNB.

The IBCCI officials greeted Pranay Verma with flowers and a memento. Some publications of IBCCI were also handed over to the Indian envoy.

IBCCI President Abdul Matlub Ahmad gave the welcome speech at the programme. Abdul Matlub Ahmad pointed out the dollar crisis that Bangladesh is now facing.

Dollar crisis is posing impediments to Bangladesh’s exports to India as well as Bangladesh’s imports from India, Abdul Matlub Ahmad said. He also talked about certain trade barriers that exist between India and Bangladesh.

IBCCI Vice President Shoeb Chowdhury spotlighted on the prevailing friendly ties between India and Bangladesh.

He mentioned India’s valuable contribution in the independence of Bangladesh and stated that Bangladesh cannot pay back this debt to India.

India is currently Bangladesh’s fourth export destination while Poland is in the third place, he said. No description available.

Shoeb Chowdhury expressed hope that Bangladesh can export more goods to India to reduce Bangladesh’s trade deficit and raise India to the third place in terms of export from Bangladesh.

He referred to Pranay Verma as a dynamic diplomat and sought his cooperation to further expand the bilateral alliance between Bangladesh and India. Moreover, Shoeb Chowdhury asked for India’s assistance to save Bangladesh from debt trap diplomacy.

He remarked that a new horizon between Bangladesh and India will be opened up through the arrival of Pranay Verma as the Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh.

Indian High Commissioner Pranay Verma thanked IBCCI for the reception. He lauded the activities of IBCCI and its officials. He laid emphasis on exploring more prospects regarding the enhancement of diplomatic and commercial bonds between India and Bangladesh. Pranay Verma recalled Bangladesh Prime Minister’s last visit to India.

He also talked about Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “neighbours first” policy which is expected to further drive forward the relations between the two countries.

Pranay Verma also made references to visa issues and the importance of the implementation of Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between Bangladesh and India. He also focused on green energy, tech transfer, renewable energy and some other relevant matters.