Bangladesh PM proposed to supply rice to northeast India: Tripura minister

Bangladesh is ready to supply rice to food-starved northeastern Indian states and can allow all its ports to ferry goods bound for those regions, a Tripura minister says.

“(Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina) has proposed to supply rice to Tripura and other northeastern states which will reduce the cost for carrying food grains to the region from far-off states like Punjab or Andhra Pradesh,” Tripura’s Industries and Commerce Minister Tapan Chakraborty said on Friday.

He referred to his meeting with Hasina recently in Dhaka.

Chakraborty was a member of Indian delegation led by India’s Minister of State for External Affairs General (retd) VK Singh that visited Bangladesh for a business conclave earlier this week.

He said: “After attending the one-day conclave on India-Bangladesh trade and improving connectivity between the two countries, the Indian delegation met Bangladesh prime minister.

“During the meeting Madam Hasina proposed to supply rice to Tripura and other northeastern states to meet their scarcities.”

“(She) categorically said that the Bangladesh government can allow all its ports including sea ports in “mutual interest” to transport goods from any part of India to northeastern region via her country,” the Tripura minister Chakraborty added.

The first-ever consignment of 5,000 tonnes of the total 10,000 tonnes of rice in small ships reached Ashuganj river port from Kakinada port in Andhra Pradesh via Kolkata port on Aug 5.

From Ashuganj port, 40 km from Agartala, Bangladeshi trucks have been carrying the rice since Aug 7 to FCI warehouses in Nandannagar.

Earlier in 2012, Bangladesh had allowed India’s state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) to ferry heavy machinery, turbines and cargo through Ashuganj port for the 726 MW Palatana mega power project in southern Tripura.

The Indian government had spent several millions of rupees on developing the port and related infrastructure.

It is much easier to carry foods, essentials and heavy machinery to several northeastern states via Bangladesh from different parts of India as surface connectivity is a key factor for the mountainous region surrounded by Bangladesh, Myanmar, Bhutan and China.

The only land corridor to the northeastern states from within India is through Assam and West Bengal.

For instance, Agartala via Guwahati is 1,650 km from Kolkata and 2,637 km from New Delhi, while the distance between Agartala and Kolkata via Bangladesh is just about 350 km.

Tripura, Mizoram and a few other northeastern states have been pressing Indian government to finalise a permanent multi-model transit route via Bangladesh to carry foods, essentials and heavy machinery.

Recently, there was also a proposal to procure rice for Mizoram from neighbouring Myanmar.

Tripra minister Chakraborty said: “We have proposed a direct bus service between Agartala and Kolkata via Bangladesh.

“Discussions were also held about the development of infrastructure of the Land Customs Stations along the India-Bangladesh borders to further improve trade between Bangladesh and northeastern states.”

“The 70 km road between southern Tripura’s border town Sabroom and Chittagong sea port has to be improved to carry men and materials to and from India and Bangladesh,” he added.

The minister said preliminary works had been done to build a bridge over river Feni to connect with the Chittagong port in southeast Bangladesh.

“Tripura would be a gateway for northeastern states if accessed to Chittagong international port was availed,” the minister added.

The Indian government has also undertaken a 252 crore Rupees project to construct a 15-km railway track between Agartala railway station and Akhaura railway junction to open a new railway link between the two neighbours.

The Indian Chamber of Commerce and the India-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry in association with the Indian High Commission in Dhaka organised the conclave last Sunday.

Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma, India’s High Commissioner in Bangladesh Pankaj Saran, ministers, officials and investors from Meghalaya, Mizoram, Assam and Tripura took part in the summit.

Bangladesh shares a 4,097-km border with the Indian states of West Bengal, Tripura, Assam, Mizoram and Meghalaya.