India and Bangladesh are set to sign a revised agreement to establish __more border haats for the frontier people of the two countries, said Indian High Commissioner Harsh Vardhan Shringla.
“We want to have as many border haats as possible,” Shringla said, adding that the makeshift markets are turning out to be great successes in Meghalaya and Tripura.
Presently, four border haats are operational along the India-Bangladesh border in Meghalaya and Tripura.
Cash trade of about Rs 16.87 crore was carried out at the four border haats in the five years to March 31, 2015, according to data from the Indian government.
“Border haat is a good example of people-to-people cooperation and exchange of goods,” he said in a view exchange meeting held at The Daily Star Centre yesterday.
Bangladesh and India had signed a preliminary agreement in October 2010 to establish border haats along the perimeters of the two countries.
Traders living in the border areas of both Bangladesh and India can buy and sell their local produce without any duty, as per the conditions of the preliminary agreement.
Trade can be carried out in both the countries' currencies at the border haats.
The high commissioner also talked about the transhipment of goods from the rest of India to its northeastern parts using Bangladesh's territory.
“The transhipment experience so far is excellent,” he said, adding that an inland container port is being built at Ashuganj and a four-lane road from there to Akhaura with Indian financing.
On Friday, for the first time a ship carrying cargo from Kolkata under coastal shipping deal had arrived in Pangaon inland container terminal.
Shringla said he is impressed by the facilities at Pangaon ICT, which can also emerge as an alternative to Ashuganj River Port for transhipment of goods to northeastern India.
“Now ships with cargo can complete the journey between Dhaka and Kolkata in just 3-4 days, which provides an economical and quicker mode of transportation of goods.”
On the transit and transhipment fees, he said the figures must be commercially viable for both the parties involved.
About the matter of Indian investment, he said Indian entrepreneurs have so far invested $3 billion in Bangladesh and another $11 billion worth of proposals are in the pipeline.
He mentioned the names of big Indian business groups like Reliance and Adani that are keen to investment in different sectors, including power and energy, of Bangladesh.
“The private sectors of both countries have been playing an important role in promoting bilateral relationship between the two countries,” he added.