The Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and the India-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IBCCI) will jointly work on the possibility of an Indo-Bangla industrial park near the border. Setting up of a joint industrial park with a thrust on textile and readymade garments would be high on the agenda of business cooperation between ICC and IBCCI.
ICC and IBCC will jointly conduct a study to identify the sectors where joint investment is possible. Bangladeshi companies are still not allowed to invest abroad because of foreign exchange constraint. Now the Bangladesh government has decided to relax this once the forex reserve reaches $25 billion. Currently, the Bangladesh forex reserve is at $23 billion.
The idea of collaboration between India and Bangladesh was mooted during the India Show organized by FICCI in Dhaka in 2012. The industry body had said that India and Bangladesh can join hands and act as a block in textile and garments. A national committee member of FICCI had also argued that India and Bangladesh can complement each other in this field.
ICC has also requested the Bangladesh government to set up a consular office in the north-east to expedite trade between the north-east and Bangladesh.