Indian exporters Saturday urged Bangladesh Finance Minister M. Saifur Rahman to resolve problems relating to banks and customs that were hampering their exports to Bangladesh.

An 11-member delegation of the Federation of Indian Exporters' Organisation that called on Rahman here alleged fraudulent practices by some Bangladeshi banks in paying back the cost of exported items.

The complaints were made on the eve of a two-day dialogue of the Indo-Bangladesh joint working group on trade-related issues, in the Bangladesh capital Monday.

The dialogue will seek ways to increase the volume of trade, the balance of which has been overwhelmingly tilted in favour of India with over $1 billion gap annually.

Rahman told the delegation that he had asked the Bangladesh Bank to look into the matter in consultation with the concerned banks. The delegation had also complained about problems created at the Bangladeshi customs.

"Some Bangladeshi banks are defrauding in making the payment or delaying it... the problem has reached a stage where our payment is at risk," the leader of the Indian delegation S.K. Jain told reporters later.

He said it was ultimately the Bangladeshi importers and consumers would have to pay higher prices for the enhanced costs of exports.

In reply to a specific query about non-tariff and para-tariff barriers imposed against Bangladeshi exports to India, Jain said: "If you write to us we can solve it immediately."

Jain did not see non-tariff barriers coming in the way of Bangladeshi exports although exporters here complain a number of items could not enter the Indian market due to non-tariff barriers in the name of standardisation or customs clearance.gwe