Salman Fazlur Rahman, consultant to Bangladesh Top Minister Sheikh Hasina, in an unique interview with India Nowadays, spoke concerning the India-Bangladesh financial partnership, China, refugees, and the state of the rustic’s financial system. Unlawful immigrants are financial refugees, and can go back as soon as the financial system improves, he mentioned.
#IndiaTodayExclusive | Salman Fazlur Rahman, Guide to PM Sheikh Hasina speaks on Business and funding. Says, “Unlawful immigrants are financial refugees. Will go back when Bangladesh financial system improves” #ReporterDiray | (@geeta_mohan) percent.twitter.com/o9gJgJqy1l
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Complete Financial Partnership Settlement
India and Bangladesh will quickly start negotiations on CEPA, which is a bilateral business settlement. In 2021-22, Bangladesh emerged as the most important business spouse for India in South Asia and CEPA will supply a spice up to the already flourishing business.
“There’s no time frame to conclude CEPA, however we are hoping it occurs once conceivable. In theory, we agreed to do a CEPA,” Salman Rahman advised India Nowadays.
“We need to do scoping and numerous paintings earlier than right kind negotiations start. Neatly, the time-frame that we would really like is once conceivable, however there may be numerous paintings to do,” he added.
The personal trade and funding consultant to the Bangladesh PM additionally spoke concerning the particular courting between India and Bangladesh.
“That is the start. I’m very assured, allowing for the very shut and brotherly members of the family we have now. And in addition the particular courting that Top Minister Narendra Modi and Top Minister Sheikh Hasina have. They have already met various occasions. PM Modi got here to Bangladesh even throughout Covid occasions to rejoice our fiftieth anniversary and a centesimal start anniversary of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. We adopted up with this discuss with of Top Minister Sheikh Hasina to India,” Salman Rahman mentioned.
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Investments in Bangladesh
“There’s a massive scope [for investments]. Indian buyers, once they put money into Bangladesh, will have to no longer have a look at Bangladesh’s marketplace by myself. They will have to mix it with the North East. The cause of this is as a result of we are actually operating intently on communique and connectivity—street, rail, and waterways. Bangladesh would change into an enormous marketplace for Indian firms,” Salman Rahman advised India Nowadays.
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On China and debt entice
Talking on Chinese language investments in Bangladesh and a conceivable debt entice, Salman Rahman mentioned one of the vital good fortune tales of Bangladesh is that the country’s exterior debt to GDP ratio is without doubt one of the lowest on the planet.
“In a similar fashion, the economic debt of Bangladesh executive is minimum. All our debt is bilateral debt at concessional charges. When it comes to Sri Lanka, the largest drawback was once that the federal government had taken on an enormous quantity of industrial debt. We have not achieved that. Actually, we do not actually have a sovereign bond,” he mentioned.
Talking about India’s issues relating to Chinese language investments in Bangladesh, Rahman mentioned Indian firms will have to no longer be frightened.
“Our courting with China is that they’ve given us concessional loans for some initiatives and we have now used them for the initiatives. For instance, the Padma Bridge, which is a surprise of engineering, many believed was once a Chinese language executive venture. That isn’t true. It’s financed through Bangladesh utterly, however thru a global comfortable the venture was once built through a Chinese language corporate. It was once a industrial factor. That doesn’t imply we’re depending on China for such construction initiatives. There are some infrastructure initiatives that China has financed too,” he added.
On unlawful immigrants
Salman Rahman mentioned that unlawful immigrants are financial refugees, and as soon as their [illegal immigrants’] financial scenario improves, they are going to no longer depart the rustic. Unlawful immigrants will go back to Bangladesh if the commercial scenario improves, he mentioned.
“We’re seeing that Bangladeshis are actually searching for higher-paying jobs within the Center East (the Gulf) as a result of, for lower-paid jobs, they’re getting higher salaries in Bangladesh itself. They’re getting professional after which going in a foreign country. So, we’re that specialize in talent coaching, upskilling, and reskilling,” he added.
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Teesta river dispute
Salman Rahman mentioned Bangladesh hopes that the dispute will probably be resolved throughout Top Minister Narendra Modi’s tenure. We’ve had many rounds of negotiations already and I feel that, from the Indian aspect, that realisation is there, he mentioned.
“Negotiations on all sides must be concluded. Top Minister Sheikh Hasina additionally has excellent members of the family with West Bengal Leader Minister Mamata Banerjee,” he added.
Learn | With PM Modi at helm, India & Bangladesh will get to the bottom of all problems: Sheikh Hasina
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