He said developed countries had promised in the Uruguay Round and subsequent WTO Ministerial declaration to provide the LDCs with technical assistance and duty-free market access as compensatory measures to face the challenges of integration of their economies with the global economy.

"But the commitments have not yet been fulfilled," he said in a meeting with visiting Deputy Director General of WTO Kipkorir Aly Azad Rana at his office yesterday.

MK Anwar said the globalisation is creating problems alongside opportunities for the weaker economies. "The WTO rules and conditionalities of market access suit the developed countries, not the LDCs," he observed.

He said stronger economies have achieved a standard in labour environment and other non-trade issues and they are raising the issues of our export. He said these non-tariff barriers to trade coupled with subsidy issue create major concern to the LDCs.

Appreciating the minister for his remarks, the WTO DDG said WTO is facing this problem. "LDCs have not much technical know-how and expertise to comply with the set standards and improve supply capacity," he said adding that WTO is trying to provide support to the LDCs through an integrated framework for improving their overall trade capacities.

The minister said Bangladesh has improved a lot in socioeconomic indicators. "We have a large domestic market. We are implementing various steps to face the challenges in textiles sector after 2004," he said.

But non-tariff barriers and quota system are the real obstacles to our trade expansion, he pointed out and said developed countries by giving subsidy and protection to non-agriculture sectors achieved competitiveness.

"Now they are applying the same policy to develop their agriculture sector. But we have not given the scope," MK Anwar regretted.

He requested the WTO executive to increase contact among LDCs, including Bangladesh.

The WTO DDG appreciated Bangladesh's excellent negotiating skill and role in the WTO negotiations as a leader of LDCs and said WTO would continue to encourage Bangladesh to expedite its efforts.