India's top design school ends agreement with Bangladesh's media institute

Ahmedabad: The Ahmedabad-based National Institute of Design (NID) on Monday announced termination of its collaborative agreement with a media institute in Bangladesh's capital Dhaka in the "paramount interest of national priorities and sentiment".

The move comes two days after India decided to allow entry of ready-made garments from Bangladesh only through Kolkata and Nhava Sheva (near Mumbai) sea ports and barred imports of a range of consumer items through land transit posts in the Northeast. New Delhi's decision was in response to similar curbs placed by Dhaka on certain Indian products last month.

The NID, an autonomous institution under the aegis of the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry, said it is terminating its agreement with the Dhaka-based Pathshala South Asian Media Institute.

In a statement, the NID said it was making the move "in view of the current situation and in the paramount interest of national priorities," and "in solidarity with national sentiment".

The NID and the Pathshala South Asian Media Institute had signed a collaborative agreement for mutually beneficial academic activities a few years ago, said the statement.

"In solidarity with national sentiment as well as in alignment with its ethical framework, the institute has processed termination of the collaborative agreement signed between the NID, Ahmedabad, and the Pathshala South Asian Media Institute, Dhaka," it said.

The NID remains committed to prioritising national interests and upholding its institutional values and responsibilities, and will continue to support decisions taken by the government, asserted the statement.

The NID is India's premier design institute that has been declared an 'Institution of National Importance' by an Act of Parliament. The school is internationally acclaimed as one of the finest educational and research institutions for industrial, communication, textile and IT Integrated design.

It is also recognised by the central government as a scientific and industrial research organisation.

Pathshala started in 1998 as an institute of photography with particular emphasis on photojournalism, and in 2010 it became a full-fledged institute for visual storytelling by setting up a new department of broadcast and multimedia.

Two days ago, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), in a notification, said the port restrictions will not apply to Bangladeshi goods transiting through India, but destined for Nepal and Bhutan.

The order said ready-made garment imports from Bangladesh will not be allowed from any land port, but only through Nhava Sheva and Kolkata seaports.

For fruits, fruit flavoured and carbonated drinks, processed food items (baked goods, snacks, chips and confectionary), cotton and cotton yarn waste, plastic and PVC finished goods, dyes, plasticisers and granules, and wooden furniture, the notification said inbound shipments from Bangladesh shall not be allowed through any LCSs (Land Customs Stations) and ICPs (Integrated Check Posts) in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram, and LCS Changrabandha and Fulbari (West Bengal).