Bangladesh Minister Tipu Munshi to visit Mizoram to review border trade projects

Bangladesh Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi will visit Mizoram on Friday to inspect and evaluate proposed border trade projects on Mizoram's side of the Indo-Bangladesh border, official sources stated on Monday.

 As per reports, the Commerce Minister  is scheduled to arrive in Aizawl on April 22 on a three-day visit to the state.

During his visit, the Bangladeshi minister will inspect the proposed integrated check post in Lunglei district and a border haat in Mamit district, both on the Mizoram-Bangladesh border, alongside Mizoram commerce and industry minister Dr R. Lalthangliana, it stated.

During his visit to the neighbouring country in March last year, Lalthangliana said he asked the Bangladeshi minister for a joint verification visit to the project sites to take stock of the proposed projects.

The Bangladeshi minister's visit, which was previously scheduled for May of last year, was postponed owing to the COVID-19 outbreak, he claimed.

On April 23, Lalthangliana stated they would conduct a joint inspection of the proposed Integrated Check Post (ICP) at Kawrpuichhuah in south Mizoram's Lunglei district and a border haat at Silsuri village in western Mizoram's Mamti district.

According to him, the Bangladeshi government has already taken many initiatives to enhance border trade between Mizoram and the neighbouring country at the proposed sites.

Despite the fact that the state government is putting in a lot of effort to boost bilateral trade, there are some aspects that are beyond the state government's control and fall under the jurisdiction of the federal government, he added.

According to official sources, Munshi will travel to Kolkata on April 25. Bangladesh shares a 318-kilometer international border with Mizoram.

According to an official, the Land Port Authority of India has already authorised a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the full project of the proposed ICP at Kawrpuichhuah.

He claimed that along the Mizoram-Bangladesh border, four border haats would be established, three in Mamit and one in Lunglei districts.

He stated the proposed border haat at Silsuri is being considered as a pilot project.