Another border haat under way

NEW DELHI: As part of the growing bilateral relationship at the grassroots level India and Bangladesh will set up a new border haat in the Bholagonj area of Sylhet district bordering East Khasi Hills, official sources said here on Monday.
Additional secretaries of the Commerce ministries from both countries will visit the haat site next Monday. The new haat will be on no man’s land, which will be convenient to villagers living on both sides of the border.
Currently, four border haats exist on the Indo-Bangladesh border. A memorandum was signed in 2018 between the two countries on the opening of six more haats taking the total number to ten.
The border haats aim at promoting the wellbeing of the people dwelling in remote areas across the borders of the two countries by establishing a traditional system of marketing the local produce through local markets and meetings at the local level. The haat will consist of 50 shops, 25 from each country with entries from both sides of the border. The entire construction of the haat is being financed by India as a goodwill gesture.
The six new border haats will be located at Moulvibazar and North Tripura border, Komolganj and Kamalpur border, Companiganj and Bholaganj border, Tahirpur and Nalikata border, Doara Bazar and Rinku border, and Mymensingh and Shibbari border, the sources said.