Welcoming the agreements reached between Bangladesh and India, Tripura trade bodies on Tuesday demanded transit facility through the neighbouring country for the people of the North-East.
“We are very happy that three treaties and one MoU have been signed in Delhi during the visit of Bangladesh Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina on Monday, but people of land-locked North-East would be highly benefited if Bangladesh extends transit facility to us also,” Secretary Tripura Chamber of Commerce M. L. Debnath said on Tuesday.
He said that trade bodies in the region, including the Tripura Chamber of Commerce have been demanding transit facility through Bangladesh, an Agartala-Akhaura rail link and use of the Chittagong sea port and river ports which includes Ashuganj, so that communication and trade between the countries and India’s North-East area could be enhanced.
“We want restoration of the pre-partition communication map for better trade,” he told PTI.
The Tea Association of India (TAI) also demanded transit through the Bangladesh to increase export of tea from Tripura and Assam.
Tripura produces 78 lakh kg and Assam about 4,500 lakh kg every year on an average, but consumes only ten per cent of the total production, TAI officials said.
It takes about three days to take tea from here to Kolkata for auction, but if transit was available it could be taken in a day, the official said.
