Rural bazaar on Indo-Bangla border inaugurated

Marking further cementing of bilateral ties, a haat (rural bazaar) on the India-Bangladesh border in Meghalaya was inaugurated on Saturday.

The Border Haat at Kalaichar, West Garo Hill District in Meghalaya, was inaugurated jointly by Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma and Bangladesh counterpart Muhammad Faruk Khan.

"The haat would focus on importance of economic and commercial ties between the people living on either side of our borders," Sharma said on the occasion.

It is estimated that bilateral trade worth $20 million will take place annually at these bazaars. He said, a second such bazaar proposed at Balat on India side and Lauwaghar on Bangladesh side would open shortly.

Sharma said that reopening of the haat at Kalaichar marked an emotional moment because the traders from the two sides are meeting here after 40 years.

About 1,000 people from both sides of the international border witnessed the reopening of the haat, the Mughal-era traditional markets which were closed down after the partition.

"The first transaction will be on July 27. Twenty five vendors from each side and some 300 buyers are expected on the first day. The haat will open every Wednesday from 9.30 am to 3 pm," West Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner Sanjay Goyal told PTI over phone.

The trade would focus on locally produced vegetables, food items, fruits, spices, minor local forest produce like bamboo, bamboo grass, cottage items like lungi, plough, axe, spade, chisel and locally produced garments.

The local bazaars at the border are being thrown open coinciding with high-level visits of dignitaries from the two sides.

External Affairs Minister S M Krishna visited Bangladesh on July 6. United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi will be going to Dhaka on Monday.

Gandhi's visit comes ahead of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visit to Bangladesh in September. During 2010-11, the bilateral trade between the two countries grew 45 per cent to $ 3.9 billion compared to the previous fiscal.