Trade, Regional Cooperation and
Connectivity between North East India
and Bangladesh
Focus on Tripura
Siddhartha Mitra
Director (Research)
CUTS International
Structure of Presentation
Map and related discussion
North Eastern India: strengths
Why focus on Tripura?
Transit: Need and pre-conditions for implementation
Recommendations and questions
North East and Neighbouring Countries
Source: IBEF
North East: Many Strengths
•
Rich in mineral and water resources
Facilitates power generation
 Makes industrialisation easier
Boost to agriculture
Alternative mode of cheap passenger and cargo
transport
•Fertile Soils
•Mountainous terrain
Facilitates generation of hydel power
 Non-extreme climatic conditions
Gives a boost to cultivation of valuable cash crops such
as tea
 High literacy
Great potential for tourism
Why Focus on Tripura?
•
•
•
•
Shares 85 percent of its 1000 km border with Bangladesh
• Surrounded by Bangladesh on three sides
Second smallest state in the North East but accounts for 48
percent (884 kms) of 1840 km long border with Bangladesh
Rapid rate of growth of state income over the last decade: per
capita income has almost reached the Indian average (Rs.
22946 at 1999-2000 prices in 2004-05)
Growth momentum can be further enhanced through boost to
its fledgling manufacturing sector (3 percent of state income)
• Bangladeshi markets and FDI from Bangladesh
• Access to markets in India (outside North Eastern India) through
Bangladesh
Why Focus on Tripura?
•
•
•
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Rich in natural gas – potential power exporter to Bangladesh
Tremendous potential for the expansion of horticulture and
plantation crops -- requires stimulation through market
access
Huge cultural similarity with Bangladesh – a favourable factor
for trade with and investment and tourists from Bangladesh
Potentially high level of human capital (literacy rate of 73.2
percent as against 63.4 percent for India as a whole)
Why Focus on Tripura?
•
Avails of practically the only exporting customs station that
Bangladesh has vis-à-vis the North East -- Akhaura
• 80 percent (4.43 out of Rs. 5.53 crores in 2001-02) of Bangladeshi
exports to North East India despite poor infrastructure and other
facilities
o Bangladeshi side in 2004: no warehousing and parking facility; erratic
electricity supply; no fixed telephone facility, email or fax
o Indian side in 2004: slightly better as phone facility, fax and email
facility existed but no warehouse
Initiatives to promote trade on both sides
• In 2002: setting up of a joint study group of the Tripura and
•
Chittagong Chambers of Commerce and Industry
Aug 28, 2009 – Joint Tripura-Bangla taskforce on trade set up
Bangladesh - An Important Source of
Connectivity for North Eastern India
Access for goods by land very difficult
• Connected to the rest of India by a 22 km wide stretch
of land called the chicken’s neck
• Goods have to travel parallel to Bangladeshi
border
and enter through the chicken’s neck – high
transportation costs
• Bangladesh can provide easier connectivity for North
East India to the rest of India and through Chittagong
Port to the rest of the world
Bangladesh - An Important Source of
Connectivity for North Eastern India
•
Provision of connectivity through Bangladesh makes travel
to rest of India much shorter
• Pre-partition journey from Kolkata to Agartala barely 360
km; now as much as 1680 km
Bangladesh is a potentially easy source of connectivity to
the rest of the world
• Agartala is barely 248 kms from Chittagong
• All other N.E. capitals between 600 and 900 km
•
Win-win situation for both sides – easier trade for North
East and revenues for Bangladesh
Map with Bangladeshi Land Customs Stations
Source: Bangladesh Enterprise Institute
Connectivity: Basics
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•
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Provision of connectivity through Bangladesh would
involve sealing, guarantee and documentation flow –
requires good intranet connectivity between customs stations
Requires detailed inspection by customs officials at port of
entry and exit
• Warehousing, reliable electricity supply, banking a must
2004 study shows that these are lacking in both Indian and
Bangladesh customs stations
Conclusions and Questions
North East, especially Tripura and Bangladesh enjoy a
huge scope for mutually beneficial trade, investment and
other forms of regional cooperation
Poor state of trade facilitation is a dampener in this regard
Connectivity through Bangladesh can provide easier
access for the North-East not only to the rest of India but
to the rest of the world
Conclusions and Questions
Viable provision of connectivity would require
modernisation of customs station on both sides
The important question is regarding the form such
connectivity would take

Transhipment: Indian goods destined for North Eastern
India through Bangladesh offloaded onto Bangladesh
trucks OR
 Transit: Indian trucks allowed to pass through Bangladesh