India, Bangladesh open third border haat to enhance trade

India and Bangladesh today inaugurated the third border haat in Srinagar-Purba on the Tripura-Bangladesh border with the aim of enhancing border trade between the two countries.

This is the first border haat for Tripura which shares a 856-km-long border with Bangladesh.

Commerce and Industries Minister Nirmala Sitharaman inaugurated the border haat along with her Bangladeshi counter part Tofail ahmed in the presence of Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar.

Indian High commissioner to Bangladesh Pankaj Saran was present along with other dignitaries of both countries.

The border haat will cater to the needs of the people living within a five km radius.

Sixteen locally produced goods have been initially shortlisted which includes agricultural and horticultural crops, spices, poultry and dairy products, cottage industry items, furniture items, and handicrafts and hand-looms.

It is expected that the border haats will not only increase bilateral trade but also boost people to people contacts between the two countries.

Border haats are establsihed under a MOU for Border Trade and Border Haats signed by the two countries in Oct. 2010.

The MOU enables traders in communities of both India and Bangladesh to trade in local produce without any duty.