Special Correspondent :
Bangladesh is set to sign an agreement with Myanmar to diversify its sources of essential imports and reduce its dependence on India.
This move comes in the wake of the 2019 onion crisis, during which Myanmar stepped in to supply onions to Bangladesh when India restricted exports. Despite ongoing tensions over the Rohingya issue and internal conflicts within Myanmar, Bangladesh plans to resume importing essential items from Myanmar after a two-year hiatus.
Bangladesh has historically relied heavily on India for various essential goods such as onions, pulses, chilies, and spices. However, insiders from the Ministry of Commerce indicate that Bangladesh aims to decrease this dependency during crises. Given that Myanmar shares a border with Bangladesh, importing goods from there could be cost-effective.
Additionally, strengthening commercial relations with Myanmar could help address the Rohingya crisis by fostering closer ties between the two nations.
On Wednesday, State Minister for Commerce Ahsanul Islam Titu announced that Bangladesh is preparing to sign agreements with both Myanmar and India to ensure a smooth supply of daily commodities.
Speaking at an event organised by the Bangladesh Secretariat Reporters Forum (BSRF) at the Secretariat, Titu stated, “We are going to sign an agreement with Myanmar alongside India to import daily essentials to ensure a smooth supply.”
The junior minister further said, “Besides, we are signing a deal with Myanmar to bring essential commodities and extend river transport communication. We have almost finalised documents in this regard to sign the agreements.”
Titu added that Myanmar, being a large country with a surplus of agricultural products, could be a valuable source of these commodities for Bangladesh. “We may also bring agricultural products from Myanmar, of which they have a surplus. Myanmar is a very big country, and they have many surplus products. We have almost finalised an agreement on this. We will try to sign that agreement next July,” he said.
The agreement with Myanmar will be aligned with a United Nations agreement, with the primary goal of maintaining market stability through an adequate supply of products.
The Minister of State for Commerce also emphasised the role of commercial counsellors in 23 countries, who report directly to the ministry and are held accountable for their activities. “Many people may not know; it was not given much importance before. We have commercial councillors in 23 countries. Those who are directly subordinate to us, whom we directly monitor, We have brought them to account. They report to the Additional Secretary every month. We are also strengthening our activities there. So that we can access the new market with new products,” he said.
When asked about the timeline for signing the agreements, State Minister for Commerce Ahsanul Islam Titu replied, “It is yet to be finalised, but we will try to sign the agreements in July.”
The Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) will sign the agreements on behalf of the Bangladesh government. According to the junior minister, essential items such as onions, pulses, and other daily necessities can be imported from Myanmar as per the agreement.
“The government’s goal is to give some relief to the common people by making daily commodities available at affordable prices. To some extent, we can keep the market moving. That is why we are taking these steps,” Titu said.
He also noted that several land ports have been opened, adding, “Along with land ports, we have given importance to border haats (markets). We have borders in many remote areas where we have initiated some border haats to increase the facilities for the people living there.”
Myanmar is a significant producer of agricultural products and is rich in natural resources such as tin, zinc, copper, tungsten, coal, marble, limestone, natural gas, and hydropower. Therefore, Myanmar could be a major source of energy for Bangladesh to ensure its energy security.
On September 8, 2022, Myanmar and Bangladesh signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on rice trade, under which Bangladesh agreed to buy 250,000 tonnes of white rice and 50,000 tonnes of parboiled rice from Myanmar annually between 2022 and 2027. Since September 7, 2017, Myanmar and Bangladesh have engaged in rice trade under a government-to-government pact.
Replying to a question about whether the prices of potatoes and onions—being sold at Tk 70 and Tk 90–95 per kg, respectively—are normal, Titu stated that there is an adequate supply of potatoes and onions in the market and that the prices are normal. “As we know, the price of any product depends on the supply and demand in the market, and if we can supply the product, the price will come down automatically,” he said. “We have to consider the market price of potatoes and onions until there is adequate supply.”
In response to another question about the increase in the price of bottled drinking water, Titu said, “I have heard this for the first time. Let me know why it has been increased, and definitely we will take measures in this regard.”
The event was administered by BSRF President Fasih Uddin Mahtab and General Secretary Masudul Haque.