Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN) – A joint team of officials from Dhaka and New Delhi visited the land port stations at Akhaura in Bangladesh and Agartala in Tripura to facilitate bilateral trade between the two countries.
“We’re here to see land port facilities including customs to ensure proper facilitation of trade between the two countries,” Indira Murti, leader of the five-member Indian team and Director of the Department of ports, said while visiting Akhaura land port on Saturday.
She also said the joint team would visit eight land ports in the Indian province of Tripura including Bibirbazar, Ramgarh and Belunia and the border haat sites there to evaluate the status of the existing infrastructure and customs services.
Deputy Commerce Secretary Mokabbir Hossain, who led a five member Bangladesh delegation, said it was the third visit to the land customs station by the joint infrastructure sub-committee to ensure equal infrastructural facilities on both the sides of the border for trade between the two neighbouring countries.
It was the first visit of the committee to Akhaura ands Agartala points, he said, adding that the sub-committee was formed in 2009 aiming to strengthen bilateral trade relations between the two countries.
After visiting the Akhaura land port, the joint team crossed into Agartala at the midday to see the land ports in the Indian province of Tripura, the New Age, a local newspaper, reported on Sunday.
Mr. Mokabbir said that the Bangladesh team, which includes officials from the foreign ministry and land port authority, would return to Dhaka on June 14. “We’ll place our recommendations to the government on return home,” he noted.
The Bangladesh government has already taken a move to allow India to use its river ports, seaports, land ports, roads and railway under the Bangladesh-India Protocol on Inland Water Transit and Trade, the newspaper said.
BBN/SSR/AD-10June12-10:45 am (BST)
