Kolkata-based Indian daily Anandabazar Patrika apologised today for inscribing the word 'khairati' in a recent piece of news to describe Bangladesh's zero-tariff bilateral agreement for 97% of exports to China.
After the publication on June 20, the news sparked outrage among readers in social media, where they complained of feeling hurt and offended by the word 'khairati' which means 'charity'.
Amid controversy and heavy criticism, Anandabazar Patrika, published from Kolkata admitted their mistake and sought unconditional apology for using the word.
In a small apology statement, the newspaper wrote, "Many of our readers have notified that they have been hurt by the use of the word 'khairati' in the report titled 'Beijing pulling Dhaka after Ladakh' (published June 20, page 8)."
"We are sorry for this unintentional mistake and seek an unconditional apology," said the authorities.
China recently granted zero-tariff treatment for 5,161 more Bangladeshi products in the Chinese market effective from July 1.
With the announcement made by the State Council of Ministry of Finance of China, a total of 8,256 Bangladeshi products will come under the 97 per cent of products that would be exempted from the tariff.
Bangladesh described it as a success of its economic diplomacy.
However, after the clash high in the Himalayas on June 15 between the world’s two most populated countries -- India and China -- claimed the lives of 20 Indian soldiers in Ladakh, a border region which the two nuclear-armed neighbours have been disputing over for decades, Anandabazar, the widely read Indian Bengali newspaper, explained the zero-tariff issue of Bangladesh in a different perspective and wrote in the June 20 report that by this economic agreement China is trying to isolate India by wooing Bangladesh.
