Bangladesh’s export earning from Israel stood at $2,576 in the July-April period of current financial year despite having no diplomatic relation with the country, showed Export Promotion Bureau data. EPB data showed that Bangladesh has been earning a certain amount from exporting to Israel in last few years but the products are not specified. According to the EPB data, Bangladesh exported goods worth $22,435 to Israel in the financial year 2012-13 while the amount was $8,462 in FY 12.
Bangladesh is the only nation having a complete ban on trade (indirect and direct) with Israel.
Even it is not permitted for Bangladeshis to travel to Israel using a Bangladesh passport.
Bangladesh does not recognise the Jewish state while it is being mentioned in Bangladesh passports that no citizen of the country can travel to Israel.
‘Bangladesh could not export directly to the Israel as there is no diplomatic relationship between the two countries. But some goods can go there through the U.S. of any other third country,’ the EPB vice-chairmen Shubhashish Bose told New Age on Sunday.
He said that most probably some readymade garments item and some jute goods go to Israel and the amount of earning showed on the EPB data as buyers pay the prices of the products through Telephone Transfer from Israel via other countries.
A renowned economist, however, said that he did not know how the products are exported to Israel and how the EPB data showed the export earnings from that country.
Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association vice-president Shahidullah Azim said that manufacturers have no scope to export to Israel but some products can go there through the buyers from the U.S. and EU who import from Bangladesh.
-With New Age input
