Meghalaya looks to resume border trade with Bangladesh

SHILLONG: The Meghalaya government is working out modalities to resume cross-border trade with neighbouring Bangladesh through its land customs stations (LCS), with the authorities having decided to resume the international trade, keeping with all safety norms.
Over 100 Bangladesh-bound trucks laden with limestones and boulders are stuck as the trade between the two countries remain suspended for nearly three months in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
On June 3, the Meghalaya government had issued an order permitting resumption of border trade with Bangladesh through LCS, subject to strict compliance of the standard operating procedures (SOPs) that were being issued by the state government.
However, trade through border haats (traditional markets), where people from both countries assemble, continues to be prohibited.
General secretary of Meghalaya Exporters Chamber of Commerce (MECC) Dolly Khonglah said the district administration of West Jaintia Hills had recently held a consultation meeting with various members of different exporter and importer associations, truck owners and drivers' associations on the resumption of border trade with Bangladesh through the Dawki-Tamabil LCS.
"They (district administration) have briefed us about the SOPs that need to be strictly followed by exporters and drivers transporting the shipment to Bangladesh. They are now working out the modalities and once the district administration gives us the green light, we will resume the border trade," she said.
Khonglah said the exporters have agreed to depute only one driver per vehicle to enter Bangladesh with strict condition that the driver should not alight from his vehicle for the unloading of goods in the neighbouring country.
"Drivers will be screened at the entry and exit points on the border and they will have to undergo testing once in every ten days according to SOPs and their movements are restricted to only between their places of stay and places of work and vice-versa," she informed.
Welcoming the Meghalaya government's decision, Khonglah praised chief minister Conrad K Sangma for his determination to bring back the state's economy back on track following the Covid-19 lockdown.
"We need to open up our trade activities so that the government can generate revenue in terms of foreign exchange and royalty and especially to sustain the livelihood of the people who are involved directly and indirectly with border trade," she said.
"I hope we can start our trade activities at the earliest before hunger, not the Covid-19 pandemic, kills us. Economy cannot remain shut like this for too long. We have to learn to live with it but we need to take utmost care to protect ourselves from being infected with the disease. We must duly follow health guidelines," the exporter added.