India-Bangladesh Border Haat

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Tarapur- kamalasagar border haat, Kasba, Brahmanbaria.

India-Bangladesh Border Haat is a Haat or a trading post on Bangladesh–India border, jointly organised by the governments of Bangladesh and India, held one day each week.[1][2][3][4] It is not only a market for locals and tourists for buying daily commodities but also a reunion spot for families living on both sides of the international border.[5][6]

The border haats aim at promoting the wellbeing of the people dwelling in remote areas across the borders of two countries by establishing a traditional system of marketing the local produce through local markets. Border Haats enhance the bilateral people-to-people international relations, rejuvenate local economy, create jobs, and provide diversity fo quality goods at cheaper price specially in the remote border areas.[7]

As of 2019, India had $19.1 billion bi-lateral trade with neighbours, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal, which was only 3% of India's global trade of US$637.4 billion and around $43 billion below the total potential of US$62 billion, thus the total trade can grow 3 times once the man-made trade barriers are reduced.[7]

As of 2021, India has border Haats only with 4 of its BIMSTEC neighbours, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar and Nepal.

Functioning of Haats[]

Management[]

Each border Haat is managed and organised by the Haat Management Committee of the respective border haat. It is jointly staffed by the India and the concerned nation which shares border with India.

Trade volume and currency[]

The trade at border haats is permitted to be carried out either on a barter basis or in Indian Rupees and the currency of country with which border is shared, for example, Indian Rupee and Bangladesh Taka on India-Bangladesh border, and Indian Rupee and Nepalese Rupee on India-Nepal border. Data of barter trade is maintained by the Haat Management Committee of the respective border haat. As per data furnished by the concerned State Governments in India, for example, cash trade equivalent to Indian Rupees 1686.62 lakhs was carried out at the four India-Bangladesh border haats in the five-year period ending 2015–16.

List of Border Haats by nations[]

India-Bangladesh[]

As of 2021, India had 10 border Haats along the international borders with Bangladesh in Tripura and Meghalaya states of India. Four were opened earlier and 6 more were announced in 2019. Purchasing limit per customer is US#200 per day. Validity of 2019 India-Bangladesh border Haats agreement is 5 years, which will automatically keep getting extended in perpetuity in chunks of 5 year periods unless specifically cancelled.[7]

Bangladesh–India border has following Haats.

India-Bhutan[]

India-Bhutan Border Haat on India-Bhutan border are in operation.

India-Myanmar[]

India–Myanmar Border Haat on India–Myanmar border came up after the success of the ‘border haats’ on the India-Bangladesh border, the Indian government decided to test this model in the country's border regions with another neighbouring country Myanmar. At the fourth India-Myanmar Joint Trade Committee Meeting in New Delhi on September 27, 2011, the national governments of both India and Myanmar agreed to “work towards the opening of border haats (village local markets) at mutually agreed on locations, as it would benefit the local population on either side of the border.”The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the opening of ‘border haats’ on India-Myanmar border with a pilot project at Pangshau Pass (Arunachal Pradesh-Sagaing) was signed on May 28, 2012. In 2013, the Indian government responding to a letter by Nabam Tuki, Chief Minister, Arunachal Pradesh informed the state government of the agreement with Myanmar for setting up the first border haat in Pangshau Pass as a pilot project.The border haat was formally inaugurated on January 02, 2020.

India has set up 9 border haats along the India-Myanmar international border.[7]

India-Nepal[]

India–Nepal Border Haat on India–Nepal border are as follows:

See also[]

Borders and trade of India
Similar markets in Indian subcontinent

References[]

  1. ^ "Third border haat opens today". The Daily Star. 2015-01-13. Retrieved 2017-08-07.
  2. ^ "Hasina, Modi to open border haat in Kasba". banglanews24.com. Retrieved 2017-08-07.
  3. ^ ফেনীতে তৃতীয় বর্ডার হাট চালু হচ্ছে আজ. BBC Bangla (in Bengali). Retrieved 2017-08-07.
  4. ^ ছাগলনাইয়ায় আজ উদ্বোধন হচ্ছে তৃতীয় সীমান্ত হাট. Prothom Alo (in Bengali). 12 January 2015. Retrieved 2017-08-07.
  5. ^ Basu, Amit. চোরাচালান রুখতে ভারত-বাংলাদেশ সীমান্তে আরও বর্ডার-হাট. Anandabazar Patrika (in Bengali). Retrieved 2017-08-07.
  6. ^ সীমান্ত হাট: দুই দেশের মানুষের হৃদয়েরও সেতু. Dhaka Times 24 (in Bengali). Retrieved 2017-08-07.
  7. ^ a b c d Closer economic ties with neighbours vital, The Hindu, 7 May 2019.
  8. ^ Meghalaya border haats, megindustry.gov.in, accessed 28 Aug 2021.
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