Tripura wants 100 border \\\'haats\\\' with Bangladesh

Despite some occasional anti-Bangladesh tirades in Assam, other Indian border states are warming up to its eastern neighbour, seeking more local trade. Tripura, the most friendly Indian state towards Bangladesh, is seeking at least 100 border ‘haats’ or markets to boost local trade, even its export-import with Bangladesh picks up sharply. Meghalaya is also seeking at least 22 ‘border haats’. Tripura MP Jiten Chaudhury has told a recent seminar on India-Bangladesh relations in Tripura that there was a demand for more than 100 ‘border haats’ in the state’s border with Bangladesh. He later told a local media that people all along Tripura's long border with Bangladesh want open trade with Bangladesh and the rising demand for more and more ‘border haats’ are a result of that. The Centre has cleared four border haats on Tripura-Bangladesh border and as many on the Meghalaya-Bangladesh border and only a few of them are complete, according to bdnews24.com.