Bangladesh and India are planning to sign a free trade agreement as early as 2011.

Trade between the two countries is likely to grow fourfold in five years once the pact is in place, said Kolkata-based The Telegraph yesterday.

The paper said the drill for the FTA is expected to gain momentum after the visit of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to Delhi.

Her visit is expected to speed up the FTA process that will open up duty-free export of garments, leather, jute and ceramic products from Bangladesh.

"We are targeting a free trade pact by 2011. We have received positive response from studies that we have carried out on the possibility of a pact," Commerce Minister Faruk Khan told The Telegraph by phone.

Source: The Daily Star