Specialists for reopening of India-Bangladesh ‘border haats’ shortly

Indian non-profit organisation CUTS International and Bangladeshi organisation Unnayan Shamannay about Friday demanded reopening of the jointly-run marketplaces along the India-Bangladesh border locally referred to as ‘border haats’ shortly.

The border haats ought to be reopened at the initial adopting appropriate protective measures related to health insurance and hygiene, said CUTS executive director Bipul Chatterjee, according to a press release.

He came up with the demand even though moderating a specialist group meeting in the functioning and impacts of border haats, organised by CUTS International, India and Bangladeshi organisation Unnayan Shamannay.

The expert group meeting was part of a project supported by the United Kingdom’s Department for International Creation under its Asia Regional Trade and Connection Programme.

Gurus from both India and Bangladesh participated in the webinar and provided their views and ideas in this regard.

Researchers from CUTS International and Unnayan Shamannay presented their findings on ‘Border Haats between India and Bangladesh as being a Tool to Reduce Informal Cross-border Trade between the Two Countries’.

‘Border Haat’ is a good once-a-week semi-formal market, that allows hometown people from both countries to trade different goods. They are located on the zero line of the border between India and Bangladesh and each client is allowed to buy commodities worthy of up to U$ 200 dollars a day.

At present, four of these are operational, two of which are in Tripua - Kamalasagar-Kasba and Srinagar-Chhagalnaiya - and the additional two are in Meghalaya (namely, Balat-Dolora and Kalaichar-Baliamari.

Six more are appearing established along the Bangladesh’s border with the Indian says of Meghalaya and Tripura.