Baliamari border haat to reopen in December
The border haat in Baliamari char under Kurigram's Rajibpur upazila is set to reopen its doors in the first week of December, ending a roughly two-year hiatus that began with the onset of Covid-19.
As before, the market will open twice a week on Monday and Wednesday, officials say.
A joint meeting of the deputy commissioner (DC) level was held in this regard last Tuesday, when an 8-member team from Bangladesh and a 20-member delegation from India visited the border haat.
Rezaul Karim, DC of Kurigram, led the Bangladesh side while G Kharmaoflalong, DC of Meghalaya state, represented the Indian delegates.
Karim told journalists at the Baliamari border haat that discussions regarding reopening the market were successful and as such, preparations are underway to reopen it by the first week of December.
"When the haat reopens, 37 types of products from both countries can be bought and sold here and so, the businessmen of both countries will benefit from this," he said.
"When the haat reopens, 37 types of products from both countries can be bought and sold here and so, the businessmen of both countries will benefit from this."
The DC of Kurigram also said that 25 sellers and 587 buyers enlisted on the Bangladesh side and 50 sellers and 251 buyers on the Indian side will be allowed to trade at the border haat.
The market was officially launched on 4 bighas of land on each side of the border on July 23, 2011, according to Amit Chakrabarty, upazila nirbahi officer of Rajibpur.
At first, the haat was held every Wednesday from 10:00am to 2:00pm.
Then, the Border Haat Management Committee meeting between Bangladesh and India held on September 18, 2019 decided to extend the market to two days a week.
After that, it was held on Monday and Wednesday each week from October 7 that same year while its operating hours were changed to 10:00am to 3:00pm, he said.
Akbar Hossain Hero, upazila parishad chairman of Rajibpur, said that some 1,000 locals depend on the border haat for a living.
Some were engaged in transporting goods while others owned small shops beside the main market.
"So, the locals are very happy to hear that the haat will reopen in the first week of December," he added.
Atiar Rahman, who operates a boat in the nearby Jinjiram river, said he used to earn about Tk 18,000 each day the market was open by transporting passengers and goods.
However, he struggled to make ends meet while the haat was closed.
"Now, I am preparing my boat to ply the river once again," he told The Daily Star.
Manowar Hossain, who owns a tea stall in the border haat, said he would earn around Tk 2,000 each haat day.
"We are happy hearing that the border haat will be reopened. I am preparing to repair my tea stall and will be run it when the border haat will reopen," he said, adding that many others like him will now get a chance to maintain their livelihoods.
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