ABSTRACT
Bangladesh began to reverse the initially restricted trade regime it inherited on independence from the mid-1970s. However, from the mid-1980s, a more comprehensive programme of stabilisation and economic reform was implemented within which the creation of a liberal trade regime was emphasised. The belief was that such a strategy would relax some of the constraints of the small domestic market and provide access to foreign direct investment, facilitating technology transfers, creating marketing networks, and providing much-needed managerial and technical skills.
