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7th BCIM Forum on Regional Economic Cooperation

31 March-1 April 2007
 

With a view to further strengthening the regional economic cooperation especially in three major areas -- trade, transport and tourism ---- the 7th BCIM Forum on Regional Economic Cooperation was held in Dhaka from 31 March-1 April 2007 organised by the CPD.

Inaugurating the meet, Finance and Planning Adviser Dr A B Mirza Azizul Islam said it is critically important for the success of a global or regional arrangement that differences on some issues are kept aside in order to promote regional cooperation where there are clear possibilities of gain for all participating countries. It is also important to reach a consensus on areas which promise gains for all countries participating in the arrangement, he said. The adviser also added there should be closer interactions among governments, civil society organisations, research organisations, and the academics both within a particular country and among the cooperating countries.

CPD Chairman Professor Rehman Sobhan said Bangladesh is a transit point between two major economies of Asia -- China and India, which will become the first and third largest economies in the world by 2020. By the middle of 2020, the horizon of economic growth and development will stretch from North America and the West to the Asian region; he said adding that China and India will be the driving force of the transformation of the Asian region, which is now emerging as the growth centre for the economic universe. So the success of the BCIM Forum is very important for the future of Bangladesh as the country is standing at the crossroads of that transformation, he observed. Relationships among the BCIM countries have enormous significance for our regional economic development, he added.

CPD Executive Director Debapriya Bhattacharya also emphasised on transport connectivity among the BCIM member countries and said if it is not possible to develop the transport network, all efforts to strengthen regional economic cooperation will fail. He also said although China and India are two major sources of import for Bangladesh, there is a huge trade gap between the two countries and Bangladesh.

Three technical sessions were held on the first day where experts from the BCIM countries presented keynote papers at the sessions. These included Strengthening Trade Cooperation
Among BCIM Countries: Perspectives from Bangladesh by Professor Mustafizur Rahman, Research Director, CPD, Promoting Transport Cooperation by Mr Zhang Chengan, Deputy Director, Department of Transport Communication, Yunnan, China, BCIM Car Rally 2007 by Dr M Rahmatullah, Programme Director, CPD which were respectively Chaired by Mr Che Zhimin, Deputy Secretary-General, Yunnan Provincial Government, China, H E Mr Maung Myint, Deputy Foreign Minister, Myanmar and Mr Abdul Matlub Ahmed, Chairman, Nitol Niloy Group, Bangladesh.

On the second day presentations ware made on Maximising Tourism Cooperation by Mr Tha Aung Nyan, Deputy Director, International Organisation and Economic Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Myanmar, Enhancing Co-operation Among BCIM by Professor Patricia Robyn Uberoi and Future Institutional Arrangements for BCIM Cooperation by Mr Che Zhimin, Deputy Secretary-General, Yunnan Provincial Government, China which were respectively Chaired by Ambassador Eric Gonsalves, India and Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya, Executive Director , CPD.

After a two-day meeting, four heads of delegations of the BCIM countries signed "Dhaka Statement 2007" where they recommended that BCIM governments provide zero-tariff access for products to increase trade in the region. With a view to highlighting the importance of regional transport facilities, the representatives agreed to hold the "BCIM Car Rally 2007" in November this year. The forum also decided the eighth meeting of BCIM forum will be held in Myanmar in 2008.

Major General (retd) Abdul Matin, adviser to the ministries of communication, shipping, civil aviation and tourism and Liberation War affairs said the BCIM countries are close neighbours with traditions of economic and cultural interactions from time immemorial and that exist at present while speaking as chief guest at the concluding session of the forum. About the improvement of seaport he said, a properly functioning seaport with excellent rail and road connectivity across the region can significantly influence Bangladesh's economic growth. To realise this, the present caretaker government has initiated some short- and long-term measures for improvements of port facilities the adviser added.