Eastward Ho! Bangladesh Ambassador’s visit to Guwahati and Dawki

 As global geopolitical dynamics evolve, India’s relationship with Bangladesh is evolving into more long term commitments between the two countries. The signing of several India-Bangladesh MoU’s on various sectors including sharing of waterways serve as the harbinger of closer ties between the people of the two countries. Thus, the visit of the Ambassador of Bangladesh to North East India could not have come at a better time.

His Excellency Muhammed Imran, the Ambasador visited Guwahati and Dawki via Shillong last week.  He was accompanied by the Bangladesh Asst. High Commissioner who is based in Guwahati. They were received warmly by the governing body of the Meghalaya International Exporters Chamber of Commerce (MIECC) at  Dawki. A fruitful and interactive discussion took place where the MIECC have highlighted issues of the Dawki -Tamabil land border trade that need to be addressed for the smooth functioning of trade between the two countries. Some of the issues discussed are:

* The delay in realising of export bills resulting in delayed payments down the line.

* The extension of the existing 1 year business visa to at least 3 to 5 years.

* The extension of the working hours of the entry / exit of the trucks to and from India.

* A night halting facility of the Indian truck drivers within a specified area in the Bangladesh side.

While the government of India has taken the right decision to include Bangladesh in India’s ‘Act East Policy’, similar steps in infrastructure support would boost trade manifold between the two nations. Bangladesh’s border with the North Eastern part of India includes 443 kilometres with Meghalaya, 318 kilometres with Mizoram,262 kilometres with Assam and 856 kilometres with Tripura. This makes both the nations a natural trade ally for both exports and imports for goods and services, tourism and investments.

In my opinion, the biggest achievement to boost trade manifold would be the construction of the proposed concrete bridge over the Umngot river which is the lifeline between the Khasi and the Jaintia hills. The present Remington steel bridge can handle limited traffic mostly bolder laden trucks at a time.

Moreover, in the state of Mizoram the proposed bridge to be constructed is a concrete step towards border trade between India and Bangladesh that will save time and tariff which otherwise is routed through Tripura into Bangladesh. The optimum use of the Indo-Bangla border trade centre in Lawrpuichhua in Lunglei is another step in that direction.

The potential for trade and services between the two countries, especially in the North East, is immense. With the development of world class medical facilities in Guwahati, medical tourism can be a great opportunity for Bangladeshi citizens to access quality healthcare nearer home.  The education sector in the North East has also seen world class institutes of higher learning as well as premier boarding schools.  These institutes can provide quality educational services to foreign students, including Bangladesh. The similarity in climate, cuisine and culture is a big advantage for both the foreign students and the service providers. Eco tourism is another key area that the North East offers. Investments and collaborations between the two countries can be done in agriculture and agro based industries.

It is also worth mentioning that the Bangladesh Asst. High Commissioner in Guwahati, Dr. Shah Mohammed Tanvir Mansur’s constant effort to boost not only bilateral trade but also culture, education and tourism ever since he took charge in Guwahati. With his efforts, there is optimism that the relation between North East India and Bangladesh will become stronger mutually beneficial.        

 

S M Farid is a trade & investment consultant and the founder-director of North East India- ASEAN Chamber of Commerce. He can be reached at neiaseancc@gmail.com