The speakers also said labour issue of the LDCs should not be discussed in the WTO meeting, as ILO (International Labour Organisation) is enough to do the job.

They were speaking at the meeting on 'Cancun Ministerial Meeting of WTO and Bangladesh', jointly organised by the Media Initiative for Fair Trade (MIFT) and INCIDIN Bangladesh at the National Press Club.

INCIDIN Bangladesh Executive Director Masud Ali said the LDCs should be kept out of the farm deal as the developed nations are not going to stop subsidies in their agriculture.

WTO is not an organisation to protect the interests of the LDCs, said Bangladesh Chamber of Industries President AK Azad.

"Through capacity building, bilateral deals and regional co-operations, the LDCs can protect their interest," he said.

He also urged the government to amend the Labour Act of 1959.

Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) President Quazi Moniruzzaman said labour issue should not be discussed in the WTO meeting.

MIFT President Jamal Uddin chaired the meeting, which also attended by Farid Hasan Ahmed of Oxfam and Zillul Hai Razi of European Commission, Bangladesh.

Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) Director Akhtaruzzaman Manju presented an advocacy paper prepared to submit to Commerce Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury who will lead a 17-member Bangladesh delegation to the Cancun meet and act as coordinator of 49 LDCs.

"If the LDCs do not have duty and quota free access simultaneously, the developed countries may still protect their markets from the LDCs exports," the paper said.

The LDCs should have rights to protect their markets from the anti-dumping and countervailing measures, it mentioned.

There should be abolition of agricultural subsidies of the developed countries that restrict the competitiveness of LDCs agro-products both nationally and internationally, said the paper, adding until the complete abolition, LDCs should receive compensation.