Since the launching of the first border haat on the Bangladesh-India zero line in July, 2011, the Indian side is clearly more enthused, as demands keep pouring in for more such makeshift marketplaces. For quite sometime, India has been pressing for these haats in various locations around some of its northeastern states to find easily accessible avenues for marketing locally produced products of those regions which are cut off by long distances from marketing hubs within the country. The same might hold good in case of Bangladesh as well, but in the absence of fact finding surveys, the impact of setting up border haats remains largely a matter of speculation. Clearly, the decision on border haats should have been weighed in no other terms but quantifiable economic gains.
It may be recalled that the first border haat was jointly launched at Kalairchar in Kurigram and West Garo Hill district in Meghalaya on July 23, 2011. The intent, albeit official one, was clear enough: to open up new economic opportunities and thus improve the livelihood of the people in adjoining locations. Besides, launching of the haat was deemed as a step to revive border trade with India that has remained snapped since Bangladesh's liberation war.
Later in the same year, at India's insistence another haat was launched at Lauwaghar (Dalora) in Sunamganj and Balat in East Khasia Hills district. The pressure is on for more, and it has been learnt that border haats have emerged as a predominant item on Indian agenda in recent bilateral meetings between the two countries. In the latest move, reported in most dailies, India proposed for 27 new border haats across the 443 kilometre-long Bangladesh-Meghalaya borders.
At a recent inter-ministerial meeting, Bangladesh reportedly did not approve of setting up 23 haats proposed by India, and agreed on proposals for the remaining four haats. The places are along the borders of East Khasia Hills, South West Khasia Hills and South Garo Hills of Meghalaya in India. On the Bangladesh side, these are located in the districts of Sylhet, Sunamganj and Mymensingh. The meeting rejected the proposal for 23 border haats on grounds of less than adequate business potentials and inadequate infrastructure. The meeting also found it not viable to set up any haat along the Mizoram border as fewer numbers of people would benefit from business and economic activities due to the absence of proper communication.
An overview on how the border hats are being run gives the impression that with time there is the need to cope with emerging necessities in terms of managing the haats as well as catering to the purposes these are meant for. The border haats are located in no man's land (zero line) between the borders. It is once a week event. Vendors carrying their goods from within five kilometres of the haat on both sides are housed in sheds. Transaction takes place in both Indian rupee and Bangladesh taka. Agencies responsible for managing the haats include the border forces on both sides, police, customs, local administration and union-level local government agencies. According to the agreement on border haats, commodities that can be traded include locally produced vegetables, food items, fruits, spices, bamboo-made products and products of local cottage industries such as gamcha, lungi, dao, plough, axe, spade and chisel, garments, melamine products, processed food items and fruit juice. Ideally, the products should vary depending on the locations where the haats are situated. However, it is still not known whether the tradable goods are identified as and when newer haats are launched.
Expected benefits from the border haats should, among others, include lower price of products due to lower transaction costs, higher availability of daily necessities, small time trading opportunity for villagers around the area, income from support services like transport, labour, food stalls etc, and last but not least, formalising informal trade. Any assessment of the border haats, once these are in full operation, should analyse how well the benefits are actually met. As of now, there are critical snags.
There are complaints of mismanagement, arising not only from lack of adequate facilities but, curiously, from attempts to regulate the operations beyond agreed norms. Despite projections that bilateral trade worth $ 20 million would take place annually from the border haats, the picture till now does not promise such prospects in near future. One of the reasons responsible for the haats not gaining momentum is the alleged restriction of the Indian authorities to allow some permissible products such as clothes, plastic and melamine wares to be traded by Bangladeshi vendors in the haats.
Concerned quarters hold that in order for the haats to become a source of income for the people in the border belts, steps need to be taken to facilitate trading as per the agreed terms. Increasing the days of operation, bigger areas with more sheds, hassle-free movement of vendors from both sides could also be important issues to examine. Review of the list of products depending on the varying locations is another issue to be addressed with authentic feedbacks from the fields.
wasiahmed.bd@hotmail.com
Are border haats up to the task?
Wasi Ahmed | Published: April 01, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00
Share if you like