Moulvibazar to get a border haat

Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi yesterday laid the foundations of a fifth haat on the Bangladesh-India border, providing an additional source of income for families in the surrounding localities.

The haat falls between Kurmaghat point under Moulvibazar district in Bangladesh and Kamalpur point under Tripura of India.

Tripura Chief Minister Biplob Kumar Deb and Vikram K Doraiswami, Indian high commissioner to Bangladesh, were present at the ceremony, said a statement from the ministry.

It quoted Munshi as saying at the event that India was the second biggest source of imports for Bangladesh after China.

In fiscal year 2010-11, the bilateral trade stood at $5.1 billion and in the last fiscal year of 2020-21, it stood at $9.9 billion, said the statement.

The haat will enable people of border areas to buy fruits, vegetables, spices, towels, lungis, different clothing items, plastic goods, fish, melamine products, honey and other basic commodities.

Currently, four haats are in operation at different spots along the Bangladesh-India border. From the Bangladesh end, they are at Kurigram, Brahmanbaria, Feni and Sunamganj districts.