Dhaka steps forward to re-connect to India's NE states

Bangladesh is exploring at 'reconnecting' to India's northeastern states in order to bridge 'lost connections' with people near the border and improve economic ties, a Bangladesh official said here today.
"We are exploring at creating all connections by air, water and road with states in northeast India which would be beneficial for the people living near the borders," Bangladesh High Commissioner to India Tariq A Karim told reporters here.
Karim said that Bangladesh national carrier Bangladesh Biman Airlines (BBA) would start Dhaka-Guwahati flight operations from July 1 twice a week.
Dhaka is also thinking to revive the river connectivity with India along the Brahmaputra basin, he added.

"The Bangladesh government has, in principle, agreed to consider NH 127(B) connecting North Bengal, Assam and Meghalaya) in the Garo Hills where the road is already good on both sides," Karim said, adding that the foreign secretaries of the two countries would be meeting next week to have a discussion on this.
On the success of 'border-haats' that the two countries have developed along the international border, Karim said, "Meghalaya has requested 22 more haats which was under consideration as there were requests from other states also.