Least developed countries have been fighting for duty and quota free access of their products to the developed markets for more than a decade but the demand is not fully met yet, they noted.

Bangladesh Enterprise Institute (BEI) organised the discussion on 'WTO Stalled: Is the multi-lateral system heading for crisis?' in the capital.

Speaking at the discussion as a special guest, Tofail Ahmed, former commerce minister, said poor countries are not given duty-free access of their products, though they are fighting for more than a decade.

"Main issue of the LDCs is to get duty and quota free access to the rich countries but we face serious discriminations from them," mentioned Tofail, also an Awami League leader.

Participating in the discussion also as a special guest, Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, former commerce minister and a lawmaker of ruling BNP, said LDCs have to make the WTO talks working.

Bangladesh has also pushed movement of natural person issue very hard, he recalled.

Dr Jean-Pierre Lehmann, professor of International Political Economy and founding director of Evian Group, made a presentation on the topic.

Developing countries can take measures to attract substantial foreign capital, Lehmann pointed out.

Debapriya Bhattacharya, executive director of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), said: "Do not accept Hong Kong declaration as final."

It is necessary to make more concessions to take the WTO negotiations forward and the concessions must come from the EU and the US, he observed.

Syed Alamgir Farouk Chowdhury, former commerce secretary, noted the US still has a very important role to play.

Mirza Azizul Islam, former chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, said getting duty and quota free access to the developed markets, movement of natural persons and addressing non-tariff barriers are some of the major concerns of the LDCs including Bangladesh in the WTO talks.