Dhaka, April 21 -- The government plans to set up an incubation lab on Free Trade Agreement (FTA) to facilitate effective negotiating before going for any bilateral trade deal.

The lab, the first such initiative in the country, is expected to make available relevant materials for in-depth study on the issue, sources said.

The lab will house FTA documents from various countries, trade journals and magazines, and provide access to the ASYCUDA system of the National Board of Revenue (NBR), among other resources.

When contacted, a senior official at the commerce ministry said that the lab will enable the officials concerned to contribute effectively to protecting the country's interest during the FTA negotiations with other nations.

"The ...