Giving transit to India or joining Asian highway will help Bangladesh as its chance is slim to reap maximum benefit from regional trade deals, Dr Ashraf Uddin Chowdhury, professor of Economics, told 'National Professor Atwar Hussain Memorial Lecture-2006' at Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.

Chowdhury spoke on 'Trade and Transit for Sub-regional Cooperation among Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Bhutan'.

"If Bangladesh offers transit to India, the country will also gain economic benefits from Nepal and Bhutan," said Chowdhury.

He said Bangladesh's exports to Saarc (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) countries have declined to 1.17 percent from 7.23 percent over the last 25 years.

On the other hand, Bangladesh's imports from Saarc region increased from 5.62 percent to 14.95 percent during the time, he added.

Chowdhury also said," India alone accounts for about 90 percent of Bangladesh's trade in the region."

Non-tariff barriers against Bangladeshi goods and higher productivity of Indian agriculture and manufacturing sectors have made local products less competitive, he said.

"So, transit facilities to India will minimise Dhaka's increasing trade gap with Delhi," he said.

Prof Sayed Giasuddin of the Department of Marketing and Prof Shahjahan Mia of the Department of Philosophy of Dhaka University were also present at the function.