Following a request from the Tripura and Central governments, Bangladesh has removed port restrictions and allowed the trade of nine more local products of the northeastern states with that country, an official said here on Saturday.
An official of Tripura's Industry and Commerce Department said the Bangladesh government last week issued a gazette notification allowing the export of nine more local products to Bangladesh through the Agartala-Akhaura Integrated Check Post (ICP) and Srimantapur Land Customs Stations (LCS).
"A few months back the Bangladesh government had removed port restrictions for seven local products. The Tripura government is constantly pursuing the removal of port restrictions for all the local commodities and also those items having a huge demand in Bangladesh," the official said.
He said that the issue was also raised by the Indian government when the Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina visited New Delhi in October this year.
Four northeastern states -- Tripura (856 km), Meghalaya (443 km), Mizoram (318 km) and Assam (263 km) share a 1,880-km border with Bangladesh. They have over 50 LCSs and an ICP through which trade takes place with Bangladesh. Tripura has eight LCSs and the total volume of trade with Bangladesh has increased manifold from a meagre Rs 4.12 crore in 1995-96 to over Rs 537 crore during 2018-19.