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Despite strained and frosted Indo-Bangladesh relations that prevail at this moment, and also notwithstanding the clamour from a section of Bangladeshis to scrap all sorts of bilateral agreements of the two countries, especially transit opportunities given too India by Dhaka during Sheikh Hasina’s time Union Home Minister Amit Shah sounded positive of accessing the Chittagong port for transportation of North East India’s products to other parts of the country.
Addressing the ‘North East Bankers’ Conclave’ on Saturday- as part of the 72nd NEC Plenary Shah said that the northeastern region was the export gateway of India and that any products from northeast India could easily be exported to the rest of the world by using the Chittagong international port in Bangladesh.
He further added: “A few years ago, the Indian government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi exchanged enclaves with Bangladesh leading to easier waterway communication with the Chittagong seaport of the neighbouring country. Transportation costs would be less if the products of the northeast were exported to other parts of the world using the Chittagong port”.
It may mentioned here that as per the Land Boundary Agreement (LBA) 1974 and Protocol of 2011, as many as 51 erstwhile Bangladeshi enclaves in India and 111 erstwhile Indian enclaves in Bangladesh were physically exchanged with effect from the midnight of July 31, 2015.
Importantly, the Home Minister maintained that for any kind of funding or providing advance in infrastructure, agriculture, MSME or even personal loan there should be different banking parameters with separate RBI guidelines for the northeast.
“There should not be the same banking parameters and RBI guidelines for the northeast region and other parts of the country. There are maximum potentialities in the northeastern region. Banks, financial institutions and others must consider the northeast otherwise for its economic and all-round development,” he observed.
He said that a robust ecosystem for commerce and industries is being built in the northeast by strengthening the banking sectors.
Noting that India has advanced to fifth position in the global economy from earlier 11th place, Shah said that the country is all set to become the third-largest global economy in the near future.
