Commerce Minister Faruk Khan said here today that if Chittagong seaport has the capacity to take the load, there should not be any problem with India using it for transaction of trade. Faruk, who came here to inaugurate Bangladesh's brick export to Tripura, told reporters that the issue of transit to India could be resolved through bilateral discussion.

"The day is not far off when you will be able to use Chittagong port as your port," he told a correspondent from Tripura, giving a clear hint at positively considering by the present government the longstanding Indian plea for the port use, especially by their landlocked northeastern states. "In this globalised world, one will not call it my port or your port. It is our port," the Commerce Minister categorically said. He hoped that the export of brick to Tripura would help strengthen the business relations between the two neighboring countries.

Tripura Commerce Minister Jitendra Choudhury, Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty, Tripuar Chamber' s president M.L. Debnath, Tripura Chief Secretary Shdhir Sharma, India-Bangladesh chamber president Matlub Ahmed and businessmen from Bangladesh and India attended the function held at Akhura border check-post complex. As businessmen raised problems of infrastructure, land port and banking facilities to boost the bilateral trade, Faruk Khan said he would take up the matters with the authorities concerned of Bangladesh.

The Commerce Minister said in next six months a 16-km highway with four lanes from Akhaura border to Darkhar of Dhaka-Sylhet highway will be developed. A Tk 116 crore project in this respect is now under consideration of the Planning Commission. Faruk said Bilonia Landport will be inaugurated shortly, sometime between Eid-ul-Fitr and Durga Puja. He assured that the banking and customs problems would be taken up with the Finance Minister. The Minister said small bilateral problems that remain unresolved would be settled through discussions. He noted that the Bangladesh Foreign Minister will visit India when the issues will be discussed.

High Commissioner Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty admitted slow issuance of Indian visa as the present visa-processing capacity cannot cope with the growing demand for the Indian visa. However, he told the function there is no problem issuing visa for businessmen if they seek visa with proper documents. The Indian authorities are contemplating issuance of one-year multi-entry visa for the businesspeople.

Describing Bangladeshi brick export to India as a landmark in the bilateral trade, Pinak said, "Akhaura is an important gateway but it has infrastructure problem." The diplomat said India is a trillion-dollar economy and Bangladesh can take advantage of it. Stressing greater connectivity, he said old inter-connections between the two countries need to be reconnected to boost the bilateral and regional trade. He noted that regional trade is only five percent of the global trade, which is not a happy situation.