Sonahat port trouble: When a 275m journey becomes 400km

Cross-country traders need to travel some 400 kilometres to meet as the border checkpoint at Sonahat land port in Kurigram does not allow movement of people.      

The Indian territory is only 275 metres away from the port.

"To reach the Indian side of Sonahat land port in Assam from Kurigram, first we need to travel 150 kilometres to reach Burimari border in Lalmonirhat. Then we travel another 250 kilometres and cross two Indian states before reaching Sonahat port in Assam," Rakib Ahmed, president of Sonahat Land Port Customs Clearing and Forwarding Agents Association, told The Business Standard. 

He said bilateral trading partners can contact only by mobile phone when they are in their respective countries as they cannot use the border checkpoint.    

"Border control services allowing movement of people will make communication easier for both parties and give Bangladeshi businessmen opportunities to directly talk to their Indian partners," Rakib said. 

The business leader said such services would widen the scope of expanding business with the neighbouring country.

At present, Bangladesh only imports coal and stone from India via Sonahat port although there is permission for eight more goods.

On the other hand, only a few products, including plastic, edible oil and garments, are exported to India through the port.

"Bangladesh will earn more revenues if trade volume increases between the two countries," said Rakib.
Mostafa Zaman, general secretary of Sonahat Land Port Customs Clearing and Forwarding Agents Association, said businessmen, patients and tourists would flock to the port if border control services were launched. 

"Moreover, we will be able to import products like fruits and spices," he said. 

Dubbed the gate of India's Seven Sister States, Sonahat land port began operation on April 28, 2014. The seven states are Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura.

The Bangladesh government has been earning revenues through the port since it was opened. 

"Introducing border control services will make communication easier with India's Seven Sister States as well as Bhutan and Nepal. We will then be able to explore those markets," Abdur Razzak, general secretary of Sonahat Land Port Importer-Exporter Association, told The Business Standard.  

At a meeting on June 24 last year, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina told the then Nepalese ambassador to Bangladesh, Chop Lal Bhusal, that border control services would be launched in Sonahat port. 
Later, the prime minister's office informed Kurigram Deputy Commissioner Sultana Parvin of the matter.  

Parvin told The Business Standard that the district administration had sent required papers to the ministries concerned in this regard.

She hopes Bangladesh and India will work jointly to launch border control services at Sonahat port soon.