{"id":120992,"date":"2021-12-08T17:15:54","date_gmt":"2021-12-09T00:15:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=120992"},"modified":"2021-12-08T17:15:54","modified_gmt":"2021-12-09T00:15:54","slug":"bangladesh-and-assam-can-benefit-from-strengthening-trade-and-connectivity-ties","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2021\/12\/08\/bangladesh-and-assam-can-benefit-from-strengthening-trade-and-connectivity-ties\/","title":{"rendered":"Bangladesh And Assam Can Benefit From Strengthening Trade And Connectivity Ties"},"content":{"rendered":"

MD Pathik Hasan<\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n

It is Bangladesh that paved the way\nto build a peaceful North East India. As a regional state, Assam is benefitting\nfrom that. Bangladesh has played a vital role in curbing terrorism for the\nregion. Bangladesh\u2019s handing over Alpha militants to India has freed Assam from\nseparatism and extremism. Bangladesh wants Peace and harmony with its\nneighbors. Bangladesh doesn\u2019t believe in anarchy, chaos. So, North East India should\nalways be grateful to Bangladesh for this. Bangladesh doesn\u2019t like any internal\nor external conflicts across the world. For ensuring this, Bangladesh signed\nthe \u2018Chittagong Hill Tract Peace Accord\u2019 with the insurgents in the CHT in\n1997. It also repatriated a number of Chakma refugees in its own land earlier. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bangladesh has already responded to\nmajor security issues that have long been of concern to India. Bangladesh has\nhanded over a large part of India’s northeastern rebels to India. These rebels\nwere carrying out anti-India operations from the soil of Bangladesh. Major Anup\nChetia, a member of the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) rebel group,\nwas a major headache for the Indian security authorities. Bangladesh also\nhanded him over to India. The activities of this foreign-backed terrorist and\ninsurgent groups were banned strictly by Bangladesh. Bangladesh is a true\nwell-wisher of North East India. All North-East Indian provinces especially\nAssam should realize this. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, Bangladesh and India are\nbordering countries. Bangladesh and India have a warm, deep and diverse\nrelationship. Both countries are celebrating the 50th anniversary of bilateral\nrelations. Assam is also a partner in this relationship. Bangladesh shares its\nborders with five Indian provinces including Assam. As the largest state in the\nNortheast Region (NER) of India, Assam shares nearly 263 kilometers of the\nborder (land and riverine) with Bangladesh. Given the size, population, and\nlocation, Assam\u2019s participation in trade and commerce with Bangladesh is\nimportant for the Indian government. Thus, Assam is an important factor for\nBangladesh. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most of the Bangladesh-India border\nis with West Bengal. This Bengali-speaking region of India is also predominant\nin terms of commercial activities. Although the other three Indian states share\nborders with Meghalaya, Assam and Tripura, Bangladesh does not have good trade\nor economic relations with them. But North-Eastern states of India including\nAssam should focus the strength and potentials of bilateral trade ties between\nBangladesh and North East India. Assam should realize this with special\nattention.  Bangladesh is going to a south Asian economic miracle. It is\ntrue. So, it would be beneficial for Assam to bolster the trade ties with Bangladesh.\nAssam should utilize the all potentials between Bangladesh and Assam.\nBangladesh could benefit from growing trade and connectivity ties. Assam can be\na partner with Bangladesh in this connection. Assam can benefit from\nBangladesh’s economic rise. Connectivity between Assam and Bangladesh can\nprovide benefits for Nepal, Bhutan to some extent Myanmar, Thailand, Laos.\n(Bangladesh-India-Myanmar-Thailand connectivity potential)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Transit through Bangladesh is very\nimportant as it is isolated from the northeastern part of India. That is why it\nhas to build cooperation in the development of Bangladesh. The full use of\nChittagong and Mongla ports will open the door to Southeast Asia. Connectivity\nthrough railway, riverway and air would boost up the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both parties should set up ‘Border\nHuts’ on the Bangladesh border\u2014 where people on both sides of the border will\nbe able to sell a variety of goods in their own currency. People from both\nparties would be beneficiaries ultimately. Both the governments think that this\nkind of border hut will be very popular among them. India and Bangladesh can\nset up a border hut in Dhubri Lowers Assam\u2019s Dhubri district along the\ninternational border. Ultimately the people of Sylhet and Assam can benefit\nfrom using this. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bangladesh and Assam can set up more\nland tariff stations along the border. This will encourage international trade\nby land and increase trade volume. Sheola, Balla, Bholaganj land tariff\nstations could boost up and accelerate the transborder trade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tourist exchange between Bangladesh\nand Assam can be a potential sector. Bangladeshi tourists can visit Assam\nthrough their borders. Assam should strengthen the past ties between the people\nof Assam and the people of greater Sylhet on the border. Both parties should\nstrengthen connectivity between the two countries by re-opening long-suspended\nrail, road and waterway connections. Famous for having an international trade\ncenter, Sutarkandi is the international border of India and Bangladesh. Through\nthis space, the export of fruits, silicon and coal is done. The place is\nsituated in the district of Karimganj, Assam. On the other hand, Malini Chara\ntea garden, Bichana Kandi, Ratargul Swamp Forest, Jaflong, Shaha Jalal Dargah,\nSri Mangal, etc. can be tourist spots for Assamese. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Inaugurating\nthe Bangladesh-India ‘Friendship Bridge’ jointly with Indian Prime Minister\nNarendra Modi on March 9, 2021, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina remarked that\nregional connectivity not only strengthens the friendship between Bangladesh\nand India but also builds strong trade ties. The Prime Minister of India\nexpressed the view that such a link between Bangladesh and India would be very\nimportant for the trade of North East India including Assam and Bangladesh as\nwell. For Bangladesh, the bridge will not only facilitate trade with India but\nalso with Bhutan and Nepal through India’s Northeast region. Bangladesh’s\nincreasing trade relations with Bhutan and Bangladesh through Maitree Setu is\ngoing to make ICP Sabroom as well as ICP Agartala commercial and logistic hubs\nof international trade in South and Southeast Asia. Meanwhile, a new\ncross-border rail link between Dhaka and Siliguri was opened by Prime Minister\nSheikh Hasina and her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi during the latter\u2019s\nvisit to Dhaka on March 26. Passengers from Dhaka can travel up to the\nnortheastern states of India easily when the train service begins. Now,\nBangladesh-Assam-Tripura can open such kinds of railway links to boost up the\nconnectivity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bangladesh and India have signed a\nMemorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the construction of a high-speed diesel\npipeline from Numaligarh in Assam to Parbatipur in Bangladesh, a joint venture\nbetween Numaligarh Refinery Limited and Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation. As an\nindication of goodwill, an initial consignment of 2,200 tonnes of diesel has\nalready been transported from Siliguri in West Bengal to Parbatipur in 50\nwagons by the Indian Railways. The decision to build the pipeline was taken\nduring Modi’s last visit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There might have some problems (NRC)\nbetween Assam and Bangladesh. But these problems should be addressed and\nresolved diplomatically and politically. Bangladesh and Assam should reap the\nbenefits from strengthening trade and connectivity ties. There are huge\npotentials an increase in exports of goods from Sylhet and Bangladesh in the\nnortheastern Indian state of Assam and vice versa. Assam can put its\ncontributions to Bangladesh. Assam can make the Indian central government\nunderstand and urge to stop border killings along the India-Bangladesh border,\nsign the Teesta water-sharing deal as soon as possible, support Bangladesh in\ncase of Rohingya crisis solution. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ports in Bangladesh need to be\nlinked with Assam through Brahmaputra-Barak-Padma-Meghna riverine waterways to\nfacilitate the economic growth of the region and restore rail connectivity\nbetween North East and Bangladesh. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sylhet has a long relationship with Assam. Bangladesh’s bilateral\nrelations with the seven sister states, including the northeastern Indian states\nof Assam and Meghalaya, need to be maintained as in the past. Only then will\nthere be an expansion of trade and commerce of Bangladesh including Sylhet with\nthe seven sister states including Assam. Assam and Bangladesh can work together\nin the garment, health tourism, IT and education sectors. Bangladesh and Assam\ncan also work together in the sector of counter-terrorism approach, human\ntariffing, illegal narcotics business, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to influential Hindustan Times<\/a>, In the future, with\ncoordination between MEA and the Assam government, the state can push for\ngreater connectivity with Bangladesh via rail, road and air along with a focus\non organic food, silk, crude oil, fisheries, tourism and work-permits for\nskilled youth. Along with Bhutan and Myanmar, Bangladesh forms a key triangle\naround Assam. The Union government must encourage and help Assam take advantage\nof its geographical proximity with these three countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Basically, there are huge potentials in the sector of trade,\nconnectivity, people-to-people contact, cultural diplomacy between Assam and\nBangladesh. Bangladesh and Assam should reap the potentials. Now it\u2019s time for\nBangladesh and Assam to be beneficiaries. As Bangladesh paved the way peace\nprocess in North East India including Assam, now North East India should pave\nthe way in serving the demand of Bangladesh.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

MD Pathik Hasan It is Bangladesh that paved the way to build a peaceful North East India. As a regional state, Assam is benefitting from that. Bangladesh has played a vital role in curbing terrorism for the region. Bangladesh\u2019s handing over Alpha militants to India has freed Assam from separatism and extremism. Bangladesh wants Peace […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[179],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-120992","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-md-pathik-hasan"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/120992","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=120992"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/120992\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=120992"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=120992"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=120992"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}