Bangladesh interim government's Commerce Adviser Sheikh Bashir Uddin, on Thursday (Apr 10), said that his country won't face significant issues and that Dhaka will try to overcome the situation on its own following India's decision to cancel trans-shipment facilities. 

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Uddin's remarks followed India's announcement on Wednesday (Apr 9) about withdrawing the trans-shipment facility granted to Bangladesh which allowed Dhaka to export goods to countries, except Nepal and Bhutan. 

"Just yesterday, discussions were held with business representatives from various sectors; even buyers were present. We will attempt to overcome the crisis through our arrangements," Bashir Uddin was quoted as saying by Bangla language newspaper Prothom Alo.

He said that Bangladesh was working to ensure that there was no deficiency in competitiveness through its capabilities.

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"Commercial capacity will be enhanced. Simultaneously, steps are being taken to ensure that there are no shortcomings in connectivity either," he said while responding to questions from the media.

On being asked about the measures being taken after this development, Uddin said, "There are some issues related to infrastructure while there are some issues related to increased costs- we are working on these matters. We are hopeful that the challenges can be overcome."

Asked if Dhaka planned to send New Delhi a letter regarding the cancellation, the commerce adviser said, "At present, the matter of sending a letter is not under consideration."

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'Seven Indian states are landlocked': Yunus invites China to expand, calls Bangladesh 'only guardian of ocean'

India's announcement came against the backdrop of a controversial statement made by Bangladesh's Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus during a program in China.

Yunus claimed that his country was the "only guardian" of the ocean as the northeastern states of India were "landlocked."  

Making a pitch to Beijing to expand its economic presence in the region, Yunus said, "Seven states of India, eastern part of India, called seven sisters... they are landlocked country, landlocked region of India. They have no way to reach out to the ocean."

"We are the only guardian of the ocean for all this region. So this opens up a huge possibility. So this could be an extension of the Chinese economy. Build things, produce things, market things, bring things to China, bring it out to the whole rest of the world," Yunus said.

He also met with Chinese President Xi Jinping to discuss potential collaboration on river water management, specifically seeking China's expertise in addressing the challenges faced by the Teesta River.

"We have come here to learn from you; how we can make water resources useful to people," Yunus was quoted as saying by Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS).

(With inputs from agencies)