The meeting held at the Ministry of Commerce with Finance and Planning Adviser Dr A B Mirza Azizul Islam, who is also in charge of the Ministry of Commerce, in the chair, also assigned the committees some specific responsibilities.

These committees are non-agricultural market access (NAMA) committee, services sector committee, agriculture committee, TRIPS (trade-related intellectuals property rights) and TBT (technical barriers on trade) committee, trade facilitation committee, trade and environment committee and trade-related technical assistance committee.

As per the government decision, the Bangladesh Tariff Commission chairman will head the body on NAMA, which will prepare a position paper for Bangladesh through collecting and analysing updated information on non-agricultural market access.

This committee's responsibility also includes making suggestions about special and differential treatment of LDC products and trade related investment measures as per WTO agreements.

The committee will also analyse Bangladesh position on different rules of WTO including anti-dumping, subsidies and counter veiling and safeguard measures.

The committee on services sector headed by director general (DG) of the WTO Cell under the commerce ministry will ascertain Bangladesh's position to make any promise on opening up its service sector to foreign investors.

This committee will also update information on the ongoing negotiation on services sector at WTO and prepare a suggestion paper identifying weaknesses of the sector.

The WTO Cell DG will also head the trade-related technical assistance body, responsibility of which is to recommend measures for enhancing trade-related capacity and improving supply side constraints.

The committee on agriculture headed by additional secretary of the agriculture ministry will identify limitations and loopholes of exports of agricultural products to put up those issues in any upcoming negotiations at the World Trade Organisation..

The TRIPS and TBT committee headed by a joint secretary of the industries ministry will point out the problems of Bangladesh in implementing the TRIPS and TBT agreements.

It will also assess the technical assistance needed to implement the trade-related intellectuals property rights pact.

The body on trade facilitation headed by Member (customs), National Board of Revenue will identify the country's problems in trade facilitation.

The working group on trade and environment headed by a joint secretary of the forest and environment ministry will place necessary suggestions to the government to ensure Bangladesh's participation in the environmental negotiation at the WTO fruitfully.

All these committees will meet at least once a month and assist the steering committee on WTO headed by the commerce adviser.