The government is scrutinising a proposal of opening 12 more border haats (border markets) with neighbouring India aiming to boost bilateral trade between the two countries, officials said Tuesday.
Presently, three such markets are operating, with the third one being inaugurated on January 13 along the Tripura-Bangladesh border.
"Deputy Commissioners (DC) from various districts have recently sent proposals for establishing 12 border haats. We are scrutinising their proposals," a senior official of the ministry of commerce (MoC) told the FE.
He said the ministry will convene a meeting soon to take stakeholders' opinion.
According to the official, the district administration of Comilla has proposed setting up of a border haat in Jagmohonpur village frontier under Chauddagram upazila. Besides, the DCs of districts proposed setting up of border market in Kushtia's Daulatpur upazila, Brahmanbaria's Bijaynagar upazila, Rajshahi's Godagari upazila, Naogaon's Sapahar, Dhamraihat, and four markets in Patnitala upazila, Mymensingh's Haluaghat upazila, and Jhenidah's Maheshpur upazila.
The two neighbouring nations had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in October 2010 to facilitate border trade through establishing haats.
For the first time on July 23, 2011 a border market was launched at Kalairchar in Kurigram and West Garo Hill district in Meghalaya aiming to revive traditional border trade after 40 years. The border markets in those areas were shut down during Bangladesh's liberation war in 1971.
The second border market was opened in the same year at Lauwaghar (Dalora) in Sunamganj and Balat in East Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya.
Another senior MoC official said construction work for three more border haats is underway while one of them is almost finished.
He said the ministry recently gave approval for setting up four more border markets. Of them, two will be set up in East Khasi Hills - Bholaganj and Ryngku - and one in South West Khasi Hills (Nolikata near Ranikor) and another in South Garo Hills (Sibari).
The official said there is a huge demand of such markets in both the countries, especially at the boarders of Indian seven sister states. Tripura alone demanded that 100 border markets should be set up to boost local trade. The Meghalaya state also sought at least 22 border markets.
According to the MoU, commodities sold in the boarder markets are free of duty and traders can use Bangladeshi Taka and Indian Rupees and/or barter system for transaction.
Vegetables, fruits, fruit juice, eggs, dry fishes, chickens, wooden furniture, soap, potato, processed foods, spices, bamboo, bamboo grass and broomstick, home textiles, garments and melamine products, small agricultural tools like plough, axe, spade and chisel etc can be traded in the border markets.
The markets are set up at zero points of borders of the two countries. People within five-kilometre radius of the haats are allowed to enter the market showing identity card. Each trader is allowed to transact US$100 a day in the border markets.
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