Dhaka: The Commerce Ministry has cancelled the licence of the Bangladesh Agrochemical Manufacturers Association (BAMA), four years after it was granted, and ordered the manufacturers' organisation to merge with the Bangladesh Crop Protection Association (BCPA), the trade body representing agrochemical importers. The decision was formalized in a gazette notification issued on Wednesday, emphasizing the need for a unified representation of businesses within the pesticide sector.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the ministry's decision was influenced by the observation that most members of BAMA had previously been affiliated with the BCPA, and many still hold memberships in both organisations. This overlap in membership underscored the redundancy of maintaining separate entities with similar objectives.
The ministry highlighted that the existence of multiple trade organisations within the same sector was creating obstacles in the import, production, distribution, and marketing of pesticides. The merger is seen as a strategic move to streamline operations and eliminate these barriers, facilitating smoother business processes in the pesticide industry.