Bangladesh, India mull setting up 16 border haats

Bangladesh and India plan to establish 16 border haats to increase trade volumes between the two nations, a local outlet reports citing a senior official of the Indian foreign ministry.

According to the outlet, Smita Pant, a senior diplomat in the Ministry of External Affairs, told the Live Mint that the new border haats are expected to improve market access and create economic opportunities for border communities while reducing informal trade across the border.

The new border haats will be located in the Indian states of Mizoram and West Bengal.

Currently, Bangladesh and India operate eight haats, located across a number of northeastern Indian states, such as Tripura and Meghalaya.