Shillong, January 29: Bangladesh government is studying the proposal for establishing twenty-two border haats, reconnecting the neighbouring country with the India’s north eastern states through water way and air.
Bangladesh high commissioner to India Tariq A Karim told reporters after meeting Meghalaya chief minister Mukul Sangma on Thursday, “Meghalaya government had requested for opening 22 more border haats which is under examination and other states have also requested for the same. My government is overseeing that such proposal is practically feasible in order to create the space and the situation so that other states also follows.”
During his meeting with Sangma, Karim conveyed his country’s keenness to take forward the proposal of the Meghalaya government.
Assuring of his commitment to oversee that proposal fructifies at the earliest 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).”
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.
Sangma and Karim also discussed roads, inland water ways and air connectivity. Karim said, “We are once again thinking in terms of river connectivity along the Brahmaputra Basin because river transportation has a huge beneficial effect on the environment than rail and road. This is one project we have to make a start and I hope that we will be able to do that.”
Sangma informed that the meeting had suggested that Meghalaya and Bangladesh will take up the proposed bus service to connect Dhaka-Sylhet and Shillong. Thursday’s meeting also discussed the need to upgrade the Tamabil-Dawki land custom stations.
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. – By Our Reporter
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