Shillong, Jan 29: To boost the trading relationship between India and Bangladesh in Meghalaya sector, Bangladesh Government is studying the proposal for the establishment of twenty two border haats. Not only this Bangladesh in thinking to have river connectivity with India through Brahmaputra basin.
Bangladesh high commissioner to India Tariq A Karim told reporters after meeting Meghalaya chief minister Mukul Sangma on Thursday, “Government of Meghalaya have requested for 22 more and I would certainly, I think these are already under examination, others states have also requested for some but we also agrees that to make it practically feasible we have to do it in stages, identify those which are easiest to do first and then do the others..”
He also assured Meghalaya Government that he will oversee that proposal gets its due importance at the earliest.
He said, “Each will create the space and the situation for the others to follow. I commit myself that I will push for the earliest operationalization of this.”
Karim said, “I have taken personal interest in trying to promote closer relationship which I call it as a mission of rediscovering and reconnecting with each other (Bangladesh and north east region of India).”
The high commissioner said, “This was an innovative suggestion which Meghalaya has actually initiated, the two border haats were first establish between Bangladesh and India is in Meghalaya and I think two more with Tripura. So four border haats are now in operation with two of our bordering states.
Describing the suggestion of the Meghalaya government to open up more border haat an innovative, Karim informed , “The two border haats (Balat and Kalaichar) which were first established between Bangladesh and India were in Meghalaya and two more were with Tripura, so four border haats are in operation with two of our bordering states.”
Karim also felt that both the countries (India and Bangladesh) must rediscover and reconnect with each other after the borders were closed.
He said, “Not just connectivity by roads, the new national highway 127 b will be coming up that will come to the certain point near the border from where a link road can be made. “
Sangma and Karim also discussed roads, inland water ways and air connectivity. Karim said that Sangma and he felt the need to upgrade the land custom stations to integrated the facilities available for immigration and the Ministry of External Affairs and Foreign affairs of both the countries will be taking up the issue in the upcoming meeting to be held soon.(SP News)
