POSITION OF TRIPURA

In this region, Tripura is located in the south west extreme corner, surrounded almost entirely by Bangladesh. The state is linked with the rest of the country by only one road. It passes through a hilly and difficult terrain and often gets cut off during monsoon. The state is marginally connected by a meter gauge rail track. As a result, the transport of goods and passengers to and from the state is not only time consuming and hazardous but very expensive also. These factors are the major constraints in building up infrastructure for industries in the state. Although the state has a very large stock of natural resources, specially natural gas, rubber, forest products, etc, it has not been possible to utilise them for setting up industries, due to the transportation problem -- a hurdle in economic progress.

Before its merger into Indian Union, Tripura was a princely state. During those days its trade, traffic movement and communication were linked with those plains of the British India that are now a part of Bangladesh. Immediately after independence and partition of the country, the traditional communication link with the mainland through Bangladesh (erstwhile East Pakistan) got snapped. There are many rivers that originate in Tripura and flow through Bangladesh. During the princely regime these rivers were also used for transport and communication.

In this connection it may be mentioned that the distance from Agartala to Calcutta, the commercial centre of eastern India, by road or road-cum-rail is approximately 1,500 km whereas the aerial distance is only 350 km. The length of proposed route through Bangladesh may be slightly above 400 km. Bangladesh has big railway stations at Akhaura and Belonia which are only ten km from Agartala and two km from Belonia subdivisional headquarters on the Indian side. The railway station at Mireswarai in Bangladesh is only 23 km from subdivisional headquarters of Sabroom, South Tripura. Moreover, the largest sea port of Bangladesh, i e, Chittagong is located only about 70 km and 100 km away from Sabroom and Belonia subdivisional headquarters, respectively, in South Tripura. It is worthwhile to mention here that riverways facility has already been provided by Bangladesh government, the benefit of which is availed mainly by the state of Assam. Bangladesh is using a corridor given by India for trade with Nepal and Bhutan.

CRYING NEED

It is against this background that the government of Tripura has been approaching the government of India time and again for the past few years for getting a transit route opened through Bangladesh for easy movement of passengers and goods to and from the mainland state of West Bengal. The Left Front committee of Tripura had also given representations to the successive prime ministers of India on this issue. The matter was also raised in parliament. Transit facilities through Bangladesh were demanded by the chief ministers of north eastern states at a recent meet at Guwahati.

At the same time, a large section of Bangladesh trading community and intellectuals favour the extension of transit facility and direct communication with these states, keeping in view the role of the north eastern states, particularly Tripura, during the liberation movement of Bangladesh in 1971. During the last three years there was a series of exchange of trade delegations between the north eastern states and Bangladesh. Many more of such exchanges in cultural and trade spheres shall create an amicable attitude among the people of two countries towards each other, as they have a common heritage between them. Rabindranath Tagore and Kazi Nazrul Islam are the prides of both India and Bangladesh. The two nations draw on many a common tradition for their folk arts and folk literature. The more the two peoples come closer, the better would be their neighbourly relations -- a guarantee to peace and prosperity of the region. Hence the crying need of transit facility through Bangladesh for all the states in the north east region.

WELCOME STEP

Direct bus service between Dhaka and Calcutta is a milestone in improving bilateral relations between India and Bangladesh. The inaugural function of the bus service on June 19 was attended by the prime minister of India and his ministerial colleagues as well as Jyoti Basu, the chief minister of West Bengal. It was learnt through press that more areas of cooperation between these two countries such as communication, rail, border trade, extension of bus and rail service to north eastern region through Bangladesh figured in the discussion held between the prime ministers of India and Bangladesh, and that there was a positive response from the prime minister of Bangladesh. On his return to Delhi, our prime minister in his press briefing stated that a committee would be constituted at the official level to study the above areas of cooperation between the two countries for taking further steps. Indications received from the official statement that initially a rail service for carrying goods is likely to start between the two countries through Benapole in West Bengal within this year. The work of restoration of the rail that existed before partition is in progress.

All these are surely heartening signs of building up good- neighbourly relations between the two countries which have, at most places, neither mountains nor rivers to mark the international border. The people of both the countries cross the borders freely for various reasons -- overt and covert, legal and illegal. Hundreds cross over to West Bengal, Tripura, Assam and adjoining states, with or without valid passports, for medical treatment, education, etc. Hundreds from this side also sneak into Bangladesh for meeting relatives, for legal or illegal trade, etc.

It may be mentioned that poor infrastructure facilities at the different border custom check posts in Tripura, Assam and Meghalaya were mentioned during the deliberations between the representatives of different chambers of commerce of Bangladesh. It was felt that these check posts need improvement to cope up with the future business expansion. Free trade zones like the one in Morey on Indo-Mayanmar border could be set up to check the illegal movement of goods through the porous border between the two countries. A few positive steps already taken by the government of India, for construction of roads leading to the border custom check posts and improvement of handling facilities at check posts, are encouraging. Survey work of rail link between Agartala and Akhaura is also on the cards. Economic integration and railway integration of Bangladesh with north eastern states is an urgent necessity.