Staff Correspondent
Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) wants to increase bilateral and regional cooperation with all
countries maintaining a level playing field.
The party made the observation after a meeting between BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam
Alamgir and Pakistan High Commissioner to Bangladesh Syed Ahmed Maroof at the BNP chairperson's
Gulshan office here.
Bilateral issues, including trade and business between the two countries, and regional cooperation came
up for discussion in the around one-hour meeting.
BNP Standing Committee Member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury and Special Assistant to the BNP
Chairperson's Foreign Affairs Advisory Committee Member Shama Obaid were present at the meeting.
Briefing reporters about the outcomes of the meeting, Amir Khasru said they discussed the bilateral
issues between the two countries.
"Everything between the two countries, including trade and business, and economic relations have
come up for discussion," he said
Amir Khasru said there was discussion about taking the bilateral ties forward, protecting the two
countries' independence and sovereignty, and upholding mutual respect and dignity.
"The issue of our regional cooperation in the entire South Asia was also discussed. The potentials
between the two countries, particularly trade and business and economic prospects, were discussed,"
he said.
The BNP leader said actually business based on comparative advantage, which was missing in
Bangladesh for a long time, was discussed.
He said there was patronization in particular business here, which benefited some individuals in terms of
the bilateral trade and business.
"There was no level playing field. We have discussed that there is going to be a level playing field in
Bangladesh and we will cooperate based on comparative advantage, maintaining the level playing field
between the two countries," he said.
Talking about regional cooperation, he said the issue of strengthening regional cooperation within South
Asia was also discussed.
Noting that the South Asian region is the least integrative area, Amir Khasru said it needs to enhance the
integration in this South Asian region not just in case of economic issues but in all aspects. "It has been
discussed in detail how we can move forward," he said.
"We want to move forward on the basis of BNP's foreign policy -friendship with all. We want to move
forward with all kinds of economic cooperation amid good relations between the two countries," he
added
He mentioned that they will take forward the bilateral and regional cooperation by maintaining the level
playing field.
