AGARTALA, May 6 (TIWN): One more border haat and another Land Custom Station (LCS) along the Indo-Bangla international border are ready for inauguration at Kamalasagar under Shipahijala District. Taking to TIWN on Wednesday over telephone Sipahijala District Magistrate & Collector (DM) Prashant Kumar Goyal said that a meeting will with the Bangladesh Brahmanbaria District administration is likely to be held on the last week of May. DM Prashant Kumar Goyal further added that, though the meeting was scheduled to be held recently but due to the political unrest in Bangladesh and TTTAADC election here in the State the meeting was deferred to the last week of May. Earlier, Tripura Industries and Commerce minister Tapan Chakraborty said “The second border haat of the State, built at a cost of Rs 2.44 crore is ready at Kamalasagar, bordering the Brahmanbaria district of Bangladesh, about 28 km from here and an LCS at Srimantapur, bordering Comilla district of the neighbouring country, about 52 km from here are now ready for inauguration. We would soon invite Commerce and Industry ministers of Government of India and Bangladesh,” he added.

The first border ‘haat’ or market along the Tripura-Bangladesh frontier at Srinagar in South Tripura district, about 140 km from here, was inaugurated onJanuary 13.

Union Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and her Bangladeshi counterpart Tofile Ahmed had jointly inaugurated the first border haat along the Tripura-Bangladesh border. Chief Minister Manik Sarkar and MP Jiten Chowdhury were also present on the occasion.

Business in the ‘haat’ would take place once a week among 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 sold in the haats and currencies of both the countries would be accepted.

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

Tapan Chakraborty said the Tripura government proposed setting up of eight border haats, but India and Bangladesh initially agreed to setting up of four border haats, which would be constructed at Kamalpur in Dhalai district and one at Dharmanagar in North Tripura district.

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

The officials said, "We expect that the trade between Bangladesh and Tripura alone would cross Rs.500 crore annually within the next three years. There is a huge scope of increasing trade between Bangladesh and northeastern states of India." Two 'Border Haats' had already been set up in 2012 at Meghalaya's Kalaichar (India) ­Baliamari (Bangladesh) and Dalora (Bangladesh)­ Balat (India). Four northeastern states ­ Tripura, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Assam ­ share a 1,880­km border with Bangladesh, parts of which are unfenced and run through dense forests, making it porous and vulnerable. "If the existing border infrastructure is upgraded, the volume of trade and business between Bangladesh and northeastern states of India would be increased five to six times of the current level," the official said.