Dhaka: Bangladesh is keen to lease land in Burma’s western Arakan State for agriculture.
Bangladesh will submit a proposal for taking on lease lands in Arakan State during the ensuing third meeting of the Bangladesh-Myanmar Joint Trade Commission scheduled on April 7 and 8 in Burma’s new capital Naypyidaw, according to an official attached to the Bangladesh Commerce Ministry.
The Joint Trade Commission was set up with delegates of
both countries in 2003 to facilitate improvement of bilateral trade. The last meeting was held in November 2008 in Dhaka.
“We will bring up the issue of leasing land in Rakhine (Arakan)
State for ensuring our country’s food security through agriculture, animal husbandry, poultry and shrimp farming,” said the official.
Arakan, a coastal stretch in western Burma, shares a border of 190 miles with Bangladesh and is rich in natural resources and fertile land.
Thousands of Arakanese people have been leaving their homeland for Burma proper and neighbouring countries in search of business opportunities as the Burmese Army monopolizes all business ventures in Arakan.
The official added that the issues of direct banking, letter of credit, establishing direct waterways and airway transportations, opening border markets and holding trade exhibitions of both countries would be on the top of the agenda in the meeting of the Joint Trade Commission, besides leasing land for contract farming in Arakan.
Bangladesh will also propose upgradation of the current system of settling payments, in which an importer is entitled to US $10,000 - 20,000 bank draft per each shipment of imports.
Burma exports timber, fish, rice, pulses, livestock, other farm products and raw materials to Bangladesh mostly in an illegal manner while it imports pharmaceuticals, fertilizers and household utensils in return.
“Large scale cross-border smuggling occupies a significant role in the trade between the two neighbours due to Burma’s negligence in taking proper initiatives in this aspect,” said a border business source.
