17-Member Delegation Representing BIMSTEC Countries Visits Agartala ICP to Review Trade and Passenger Movement

The visit aimed to review trade and passenger movement, cargo facilities, and passenger amenities at the ICP along the India-Bangladesh border.

A 17-member delegation representing BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) countries visited the Agartala Integrated Check Post (ICP) on Tuesday as part of the second trade capacity-building facilitation programme. The visit aimed to review trade and passenger movement, cargo facilities, and passenger amenities at the ICP along the India-Bangladesh border.

The delegation closely examined the operational efficiency of the Agartala ICP, including its role in streamlining cross-border trade and facilitating the seamless movement of goods and people. A key point of discussion was the zero line, the demarcation separating the two nations, and how trade infrastructure could be optimised for greater efficiency.

Following the visit, Nirlipta Rath, Research Assistant at the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER), highlighted Agartala’s strategic role as a crucial land port. She emphasised India’s potential as a major transit hub, with road networks linking Nepal and Bangladesh to Southeast Asia. Rath noted that India’s leadership in trade digitisation—through initiatives such as the single-window system, electronic data interface, e-commerce, and green trade facilitation—positions it as a model for regional connectivity.

Discussing India-Bangladesh trade, Rath pointed out that recent instability in Bangladesh had not significantly impacted trade via Tripura. While passenger movement witnessed a temporary decline, she expressed confidence that it would normalise soon.

“Experience facilitating trade is one aspect when discussing payments and integrating all of it. Those again are different initiatives that have to be taken up at a more multilateral platform,” Rath stated. “We are talking about how we can speed up the process. Since we have connected and shared land borders with most BIMSTEC countries except Thailand and Sri Lanka, for whom we have seaports, the focus is on making trade move faster.”

She further reiterated that despite challenges, trade between India and Bangladesh remained stable. “Trade has not really seen much difference. It is still going on because both countries are interdependent and work together. There has not been much change in this regard, and we are hopeful that the situation will strengthen further.”

Mustafizur Rahman, Joint Secretary at Bangladesh’s Ministry of Commerce and a member of the visiting delegation described the visit as a valuable learning experience. He praised India’s advancements in digital trade infrastructure, citing ports like Chennai and Agartala as exemplary models that Bangladesh could learn from.

“We have been here since the 18th of March and have gained numerous insights into India’s trade facilitation measures. We have learned from various experts about digitalisation, risk management, and other best practices,” Rahman said. “Some aspects can be directly adopted in Bangladesh, while others need to be customised to fit our specific needs. Hopefully, we will recommend implementing some of these initiatives to our senior authorities.”

The visit reinforced the commitment of BIMSTEC nations to enhancing trade cooperation through digitisation, infrastructure upgrades, and policy alignment. The focus remains on strengthening regional connectivity, expediting customs procedures, and improving passenger movement efficiency.

As India continues to modernise its trade facilitation systems, neighbouring BIMSTEC countries stand to benefit from adopting similar strategies. The Agartala ICP serves as a critical gateway, and its role in fostering seamless trade and people-to-people movement is set to expand further in the coming years.

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