Bangladesh, Aug. 9 -- A17-member advisory panel formed by the government will oversee and guide overall activities leading to the signing of a proposed free- trade agreement (FTA) with the European Union (EU) for a win-win deal.

Advertisement Sources say the high-level committee comprises top bureaucrats, trade bodies, and economic think-tanks.

According to trade analysts, the convergence of duty-facility losses by Bangladesh stemming from the upcoming least-developed country (LDC) graduation with the competitive asymmetry created by India and Vietnam's newly weaponised FTAs is a matter of concern that has sparked urgent calls for a radical re-engineering of the country's economic diplomacy and product mix.

Meantime, the commerce mini...