Guwahati, Oct 22: The Union Ministerof Statefor Road Transport and Highways, Retired general V.K Singh today reaffirmed that the Union Government is giving prime importance to the development of North East Region by focusing on issues related to connectivity.
He was addressing the opening ceremony of the India-Bangladesh Stakeholders Meet in Guwahati where he asserted that this stakeholders’ meet between India-Bangladesh will further strengthen the Cross Border Trade between the two countries.
He further said that the Border Haats can play an instrumental role in strengthening economic ties between India and Bangladesh in general and Bangladesh and North East in particular. These border markets have been envisaged by India and Bangladesh as an instrument primarily to generate livelihood for people at the border areas of the two countries. He informed the gathering that the Multi-Modal transportation hub is coming up at Jogighopa.
The Chief Minister of Assam,ShriSarbanandaSonowal in his address asserted thatthis meet will promote Cross Border Trade between Bangladesh and North East Indiaimmensely.This meet comes in the backdrop of two major historical agreements between India and Bangladesh – the Bhutan Bangladesh, India, Nepal Motor Vehicles Agreement and Access to Chittagong and Mongla ports to vessels from North East India, he added.
Speaking at the meet Shri Biplab Kumar Deb, Chief Minister of Tripura said that access to Chittagong port in Bangladesh will not only be beneficiary to Tripura but also it will give benefits to the entire north east region.
In his welcome address Shri Chandra Mohan Patowary, Industries and Commerce Minister, Govt. of Assam said that the historic meet aims tocreate awareness about opportunities to exporters and transporters and to achieve synergy in cross-border trade between the two countries .
Around 70 delegates from Bangladesh led by Mr Tipu Munshi, Minister of Commerce participated in the two days stakeholders’ meet. Apart from this Shri Kenichi Yokoyama, Country Director, Asian Developmental Bank, Shri A.T.M RokebulHaque, Deputy High Commissioner of Bangladesh to India.
Smt. Riva Ganguly Das, High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh, Shri Ravi Capoor, Secretary to the Government of India, Ministry of Texttiles, ShriAnupWadhawan, Commerce Secretary, Government of India, Shri A.K.M MashiurRahman, Economic Affairs Adviser to the PM of Bangladesh and other senior officials of the ministries of commerce, road transport and shipping also attended the event.
