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Dhaka Wants to Set Up D-8 Forum for Shipping
Bangladesh is expected to play a pivotal role in development of a shipping network among the Developing-8 members and host two major shipping conferences in Dhaka in an effort to boost inter-member trade and commerce, The Daily Star reported Monday.
Dhaka has also expressed its desire to set up a D-8 forum for shipping, and the decisions taken at the third D-8 Summit in Cairo held recently are being actively pursued, competent sources were quoted as saying.
The D-8 members at Cairo suggested that two major conferences on shipping be held as soon as possible. One conference is planned to be held in Dhaka with participation from shipping lines, port authorities, user of shipping facilities and government authorities. Hosting of another conference with non-governmental organizations involved with shipping has also been suggested.
"The shipping conferences should help solidify inter-state and inter-company relations in the shipping sector involving both government and private sector, make vital decisions on cargo sharing and fix competitive freight rates to attract more trade," said Toufiq Ali, Bangladesh Commissioner to D-8.
Observers felt the D-8, comprising Bangladesh, Egypt, Iran, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan and Turkey, has made steady progress since being established in Istanbul in 1997. The group features the eight most populous nations of the 56-member Organization of the Islamic Conference, constituting half of its total population and commanding around 8 percent of the global gross domestic products.
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