Coordination body to oversee border haat implementation
Tuesday, 16 November 2010
FE Report
The government has formed a coordination committee to oversee the implementation of the border haat agreement signed between Bangladesh and India late last month in New Delhi, a top official in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said.
The PMO last week formed the committee, headed by MN Siddiqui, Additional Secretary, ministry of establishment. The representatives from ministries of home, commerce and national board of revenue have been included in the committee.
The committee will complete all formalities necessary to start the operation of the border haats in February, 2011, a committee member said.
Dhaka and New Delhi signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on border haat on October 23 this year.
According to the MoU, two haats will be set up in the first phase - one in Sunamganj and another in Kurigram along India's Meghalaya frontier to boost trade and commerce for local border people. The trading will be held once a week.
The committee members will oversee the infrastructure development activities of the proposed haats, which will be made ready by India, a trade official said.
Farm and home made items produced within 10 kilometer radius of border haats will be allowed to be traded. The haats will be set up within five kilometers of the frontier, the MoU said.
There will be separate local committees comprising government officials and officers of border security forces of the two nations for each haat. The committees will manage the markets and will sit periodically to review its operation, the MoU said further.
The coordination committee will facilitate formation of said committees and outline their specific tasks besides outlining strategies to stop possible smuggling through the haat, sources said.
"We will form local committees for the haat and make series of discussions with the members of those committees so that the operation of the haats faces no hurdles."
The committee will be headed by the local administration.
According to the MoU, an individual will not be able to trade above $50 at the border haats and the trading should be conducted in currencies of the two nations.
"The coordination committee will finalise the modalities for the exchange currencies of two countries-by setting up money exchange outlet or allowing a bank branch to do the job," another committee member said.
Dhaka and New Delhi agreed to set up border markets early this year during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's visit to India in January this year.
In 1972, a total of 181 land customs stations were established along the border to facilitate cross-border trading. Operations of around 130 stations were suspended a year later after allegations of increased smuggling.
The government has formed a coordination committee to oversee the implementation of the border haat agreement signed between Bangladesh and India late last month in New Delhi, a top official in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said.
The PMO last week formed the committee, headed by MN Siddiqui, Additional Secretary, ministry of establishment. The representatives from ministries of home, commerce and national board of revenue have been included in the committee.
The committee will complete all formalities necessary to start the operation of the border haats in February, 2011, a committee member said.
Dhaka and New Delhi signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on border haat on October 23 this year.
According to the MoU, two haats will be set up in the first phase - one in Sunamganj and another in Kurigram along India's Meghalaya frontier to boost trade and commerce for local border people. The trading will be held once a week.
The committee members will oversee the infrastructure development activities of the proposed haats, which will be made ready by India, a trade official said.
Farm and home made items produced within 10 kilometer radius of border haats will be allowed to be traded. The haats will be set up within five kilometers of the frontier, the MoU said.
There will be separate local committees comprising government officials and officers of border security forces of the two nations for each haat. The committees will manage the markets and will sit periodically to review its operation, the MoU said further.
The coordination committee will facilitate formation of said committees and outline their specific tasks besides outlining strategies to stop possible smuggling through the haat, sources said.
"We will form local committees for the haat and make series of discussions with the members of those committees so that the operation of the haats faces no hurdles."
The committee will be headed by the local administration.
According to the MoU, an individual will not be able to trade above $50 at the border haats and the trading should be conducted in currencies of the two nations.
"The coordination committee will finalise the modalities for the exchange currencies of two countries-by setting up money exchange outlet or allowing a bank branch to do the job," another committee member said.
Dhaka and New Delhi agreed to set up border markets early this year during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's visit to India in January this year.
In 1972, a total of 181 land customs stations were established along the border to facilitate cross-border trading. Operations of around 130 stations were suspended a year later after allegations of increased smuggling.