BD, India to set up 6 more border haats

Bangladesh and India will open six new border haats in the bordering areas of Bangladesh's Sylhet and Comilla district, close to the Indian states of Meghalaya and Tripura, to boost trade and contract among the people living in these areas.

Diplomatic sources said India intended to set up 70 border markets in phases and after discussion with Dhaka, it identified 70 locations along four states. "As per MoU signed between the two governments, about 35 haats have been proposed along the 2,217-kilometre border with West Bengal, followed by 22 along Meghalaya, five along Tripura and four along the 262-kilometre border with Assam. However, we have established four haats by this time," a senior official told the Daily Observer on Wednesday.

He said the commerce ministers of Bangladesh and India has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in this connection recently in New Delhi during a visit of  Bangladesh Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed. The haats are being set up under a memorandum of understanding on border haats and trade signed on October 23, 2010, according to the Commerce Ministry, he added.

It was estimated that there was a demand for over 100 haats along the 856-kilometre border with Tripura, and the government of Meghalaya proposed setting up of 22 haats across its 443-kilometre border. Both Bangladesh's and Indians commerce ministries have identified 16 locally produced goods-items as saleable products for the haats and made a shortlist. These includes agricultural and horticultural crops, spices, minor forest products excluding timber, fish and dry fish, dairy and poultry products, cottage industry items, wooden furniture, handlooms and handicraft items.

The official said the haats will sit from 10:00am to 4:00pm for people living within a five-kilometre radius of the bordering areas. "Each trader is restricted to transact goods worth US $100 per day, no local tax will be imposed and both currencies will prevail. Earlier, traders were restricted to transact goods worth US $ 50 per day," the official said.