India-Bangladesh Stakeholders' Meet to be held in Guwahati from Oct 22-23

Reviewing the preparations being made for the meeting, Sonowal urged upon the organisers Act East Policy Affairs Department, Government of Assam and Ministry of Commerce and Industries Government of India to put in place all necessary arrangements so that meeting is held in an atmosphere of great cordiality and warmth to put forward the bilateral relations which are based on deep historical and fraternal ties.

It may be noted that the Stakeholders’ Meet will primarily focus on creating a level playing field for the stakeholders of the both the countries like Union Ministers, State Ministers, Foreign Ministers, Ambassadors, Indian and Foreign investors, buyers, corporates and high profile business delegations of India and Bangladesh which has been tag-lined as trade and connectivity.

The meeting also proposes to discuss and create awareness on the opportunities made available by the BBIN Motor Vehicle Agreement and the access to Chittagong and Mongla Ports to the North East.

Recalling the shared bonds of history, culture, language, secularism and other unique commonalities that characterize the partnership of both countries with special reference to Assam, Chief Minister Sonowal said that Assam and Bangladesh had a coordinated network of communication system which existed through road, rail, and water.

However, in due course of time the rail link has been snapped off causing severing rail connectivity between the two geographic entities. He also said that the stakeholders’ meet will be a way forward towards reviving the age-old communication ties between Assam and Bangladesh.

Sonowal said that the stakeholders  meeting which is being held in the back drop of the Act East Policy should augur well advancing mutually beneficial partnership in both conventional and non-conventional areas, and to ensure that this irreversible partnership enhances people to people relations between the two countries besides strengthening a comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement between India and Bangladesh.

Emphasising on a win-win business partnership, Sonowal also said that the stakeholders’ meet would create awareness on opportunities made available by the BBIN Motor Vehicle Agreement, the Port Use Agreement and Use of Cross Border Inland Waterways and access of the Chittagong and Mongla Ports to the North East.

“Concerted effort should be made so that the meeting snowballed into a major trade promotion launchpad between India and Bangladesh which helps India to reach the target of 5 trillion-dollar economy by 2024,” Sonowal said.

(By Hemanta Kumar Nath, Guwahati)