Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar urged business community of both India and Bangladesh to take steps for connecting Tripura through water ways by developing communication means joining River Gumati -Tripura’s longest river with River Meghna in Bangladesh. waterways linkage between the two rivers had also been one of the components of the Indo-Bangla accord signed in New Delhi last January.
Addressing second Stakeholders Consultation Meet on Indo-Bangla trade organised by CUTS International – a leading NGO based in Jaipur, here on Sunday Sarkar said with the signing of accord between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina early this year, the relationship between two neghibours gained new dimension.
He stressed on the demand for water and air connectivity between Agartala and Dhaka and proposed to extend the air service between Kolkata and Dhaka via Agartala and Guwahati at least twice in a week.
Besides, transportation network, easy telecommunication and railway service emerged as important factors for development of relationship with Bangladesh, the Chief Minister observed while assuring that Tripura government had sent proposal to the Union government to build bridge on Feni River to connect Chittagong with Tripura. He even went further saying that if centre did fail to respond, the state government would be ready to spend money for it.
“I got the opportunity to visit Bangladesh a couple of month ago and interact with the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. I found she is very positive. I brought the entire gamut of the issues we had discussed to our Prime Minister’s notice,” Sarkar said.
He, however, observed that though Bangladesh had taken several initiatives in accordance with the latest accord signed in January last, there progress in Indian side was not at all satisfactory.
“I have mentioned to the Prime Minister it too in a letter”.
“He told me that he had detailed discussion with Bangladesh prime minister in the sideline of SAARC meeting regarding Tripura related issues”, said the Chief Minister adding that the Prime Minister assured him that things would be put in right gear.
Welcoming the investment from Bangladesh Sarkar pointed out that all important cities of Bangladesh were located within 150 kilometers from Tripura and Bangladesh has a large market in the state.
Echoing the Chief Minister’s voice, Industry and Commerce Minister of Tripura Jitendra Choudhury, said Tripura has a huge opportunity for Bangladeshi investment and there is a ready market for their goods .Besides, the state government is ready to help the expansion of Bangladeshi business in Tripura and Northeast as a whole.
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