Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya, the newly appointed permanent representative of Bangladesh to the United Nations (UN) office in Geneva, yesterday urged business leaders for appointing a permanent representative at the UN office to ensure private sector representation in the WTO (World Trade Organisation) negotiations.

“If you [businessmen] can appoint lobbyist in Washington DC to seek support for gaining a duty- free access to the US market, then why you can’t finance to appoint your permanent representative in Geneva,” he told them at a meeting organised by Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) in Dhaka.

The responsibilities of such a private sector envoy in Geneva include apprising different levels including the private sector of the outcome of the latest WTO talks, he pointed out.

Debapriya also sought posting of at least one government official at the Geneva mission as it runs short of adequate manpower.

To do his job in Geneva successfully, he asked for the private sector cooperation, which will also be helpful for Bangladesh to reap highest benefit from WTO parleys.

He described his assignment in Geneva as manifestation of government’s due importance to the private sector.

He predicted the next three to six months a very crucial for Bangladesh in international trade negotiations.

The reasons for this, he explained, are rise in the prices of oil and other commodities in the international market, inflation and the country’s reform activities in political and corporate arenas.

“However, there is a huge potential even in this complex scenario. We have to utilise it through linking the international components positively,” he suggested.

On Doha Round negotiations, he said as a least developed country (LDC) Bangladesh should concentrate on how to get duty- and quota-free market access.

He sees it very difficult to make a progress in free movement of natural persons under Mode-4 in the Doha rounds. “So, we have to focus on getting the duty- and quota-free market access,” he said.

Debapriya said a Ministerial meeting is likely by the year-end or early next year.

He, however, said it might not be good for any free trade negotiations on the part of LDCs like Bangladesh, if such a Ministerial meet is not held before the US presidential election.

“Although the date of Ministerial meeting is yet to be announced, we have to take preparations from now to attend the meeting successfully, otherwise we may not gain anything in trade negotiations,” he said.

On duty-free market access to the US, he said there are two processes to get such a facility — one is Washington DC process and the other WTO process.

“If the Washington process does not succeed before the US presidential polls next year, then we will face difficulties in Geneva also,” he said, adding that input from both the government and private sector in Washington is very important.

He said maintaining international labour standard is now linked to any benefit from the WTO negotiations. And the International Labour Organisation (ILO) is concerned about the country’s labour issue and it wants to send a delegation to inspect the state of labourers in Bangladesh, he said.

The labour situation in Bangladesh has improved a lot, the industry owners should take further initiatives to follow the standards, Debapriya pointed out.

He said along with duty-free access, the LDCs like Bangladesh should also concentrate on international food management to ensure the LDCs’ food security.

Presiding over the meeting, FBCCI President Mir Nasir Hossain said LDCs are a separate entity. “We must maintain a distance from other developing countries on the negotiation table. Our interests are different and should not be mixed up with that of other developing countries,” he said.

Bangladesh needs to develop its negotiation capacity and revisit its strategies in the light of the recent negotiations, he added, underlining the need for formation of a public-private partnership to take part in the negotiation processes.

Sharifa Khan, deputy director of the WTO Cell at the commerce ministry, FBCCI Director MA Rouf Chowdhury, Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Hossain Khaled, former Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association president Annisul Huq and former Bangladesh Textile Mills Association president MA Awal also spoke at the function.