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Tripura needs more border Haats (Markets) along Bangladesh
Jayanta Bhattacharya
Tripura needs more border Haats (Markets) along Bangladesh
PHOTO : Border Haat at Srinagar, South Tripura. TIWN File Photo

International Trade is considered to be the barometer of international relations among the countries. Even though there are massive debates among the experts of International issues, there is no doubt that the economic issues played a very vital role in shaping the improved relations between India and Bangladesh.

The neighboring country leaves no opportunity to make a point that the trade gap with India is huge. It is the largest trading partner of India among the South Asian countries with the two-way trade in FY 2012-2013 was US$5.31 billion. When India exported goods accounting for US$ 4.2 billion, its import was just US$0.563 billion showing a heavy trade imbalance between the two countries.  But it is the just reverse when it comes to export through the Land Custom Stations (LCS) of Tripura. When Bangladesh exported goods worth Rs. 342.65 crore to Tripura last year, it imported goods worth Rs. 0.41 crore only. The value of export from Tripura to the neighboring country is about 0.01% of the total export from India during 2010-2011 and the value of import by Tripura from the country is about 12.56% of the total imports by India during the same time.

However, the people of the state do not want to make it a point of controversy, rather they are happy that essential commodities were entering into the land locked state easily.

“We need enhanced trade with Bangladesh. We are not at all worried about the trade imbalance. Improvement of the relation with the neighbouring country has come to us as a boon”, said Jitendra Chowdhury, an M. P. from Tripura and formerly, Industries and Commerce minister of the state.

Tripura is bordered by Bangladesh in three sides, which constitutes 85% of the state’s total border. It has seven Land Custom Stations (LCS), which are:- Agartala, Srimantapur (Sonamura), Khowaighat (Khowai), Manu (Kailashahar), Old Raghnabazar (Dharmanagar), Belonia (South Tripura) and Sabroom (South Tripura).

The 856 KM long border with Bangladesh is porous and very complicated in nature in absence of any natural barriers. Moreover, cultural and lingual affinity has made it difficult to identify who lives on what side of the border. There are thousands of villages in the state which were sliced by zero lines. When the front door of an Indian house opens in Indian side the back door in Bangladesh side and vice-versa. This kind of complicated condition created the space for informal or unofficial trade. Though barbed wire fencing was erected in more than 80% of the border to check infiltration and cross border migration of the insurgents, it was not full proof keeping enough space for informal trade.

Pabitra Kar, former Chairman of the Tripura Industrial Development Corporation (TIDC), now Deputy Speaker of the Tripura Legislative Assembly told this writer in an informal conversation. “Earlier, before partition, the border was open and people to people contact was close. So, informal trade continued due to proximity and virtual no absence lingual, cultural or facial differences.”

Products consist - Cows, Foreign Liquor, Drugs, semi sophisticated products, and Horticultural and Agricultural products are carried out through various trade points.

“It saves custom duty; cheap labour is available for carrying goods and there are no official formalities. Villagers can avoid unfriendly behavior of government officials engaged for the border trade purpose. Through informal trade, they can save ‘transport cost’ because of the easy mobility through the borders”, Kar adds.

There is no Land Custom Station in and around many border areas of Tripura and many road and railway stations of Bangladesh is very close to Tripura which helps them to take on the job.

However, the unofficial or informal trade is illegal. “Now we need to formalize it, so that trade occurs legally and government also can earn revenues. The only options remain with us is formation of Border Haat”, Chowdhury opined.

One border haat is complete at Srinagar in Sabroom which may be inaugurated any time and another border haat is being erected at Kamalasagar in Sipahijala district.

The decision to set up border haats in different parts of the north-east was taken in the meeting of the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina and her Indian counter part Manmohan Singh in January, 2010. The objective of setting up of such markets on the border to encourage selling and buying of locally produced goods.

Central Government has sanctioned setting up of two border haats for Tripura.After setting up a border 'haat' (market) near the Indo-Bangla international border at Srinagar in South Tripura district, another such market is coming up at Kamalasagar in Sipahijala district.

An Indian delegation led by Additional District Magistrate of Sipahijala, D.K.Chakma and his counter part of Brahmanbaria district of Bangladesh, Nazma Begum met at Kamalasagar on May 21, 2014 and finalised modalities for setting up the market.

The haat which was constructed at Srinagar this year would be officially inaugurated after getting permission from the Ministries of Commerce of India and Bangladesh.

Altogether four border haats would be constructed in Tripura. The two others are at Kamalpur in Dhalai district and Dharmanagar in North Tripura district.

These markets are set up at the zero line of the international border with one part on the Indian side and the other in Bangladesh.

The cost of construction of the Kamalasagar haat, 28 km from the capital city, on 150 X150 sq meters spread over two sides of the border would be Rs 2.44 crore which would be borne by the Indian Ministry of Commerce.

Business in the market (haat) would take place once a week among the people living within 5 km radius of the border who would sell and buy locally produced goods and crops. No local taxes would be imposed on the items to be sold in the haats and currencies of both the countries would prevail.

Initially 16 items were short listed which include agricultural and horticultural crops, spices, minor forest products excluding timber, fish and dry fish, dairy and poultry products, cottage industry items, wooden furniture, handloom and handicraft items etc.

Special Director General of Border Security Force (BSF), B D Sharma who visited Tripura this year said:  "Any border cannot be properly protected only by guns. Massive development projects are required for socio-economic development of people living in both side of the border. Considering these aspects, BSF proposed to Ministry of Home Affairs for setting up 60 border haats (markets) in the eastern border, so that people from both sides could sell their local products in those markets". Of the 60 border haats, 22 were proposed in Meghalaya, 32 in West Bengal, four in Tripura and two in Assam”.

I feel tempted to give a quote of Sudhir Das, a Pineapple grower from Kamalasagar area, who with a smile said : I have acres of pineapple garden and used to sell the fruits at Kasba market of Brahmanbaria district of Bangladesh. It was completely stopped after barbed wire fencing was erected, but now we would sell our products in Border haats. I like seeing the smiling faces of the local growers.

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