DHAKA: A new border-crossing facility on the Indo-Bangladeshi frontier will boost commerce and ease movement of people between Bangladesh and India`s seven landlocked northeastern states, experts say.

Last November 17th, India opened an Integrated Check Post (ICP) at the border point joining Agartala, India with Akhaura, Bangladesh. Together, Indian Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde and then-counterpart Muhiuddin Khan Alamgir, inaugurated the check post.

"This will help us tremendously to do business with the northeastern states and create new opportunities for the businessmen of both countries," India-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Abdul Matlub Ahmad told.

The ICP is the first of seven Land Customs Stations being upgraded along the India-Bangladesh border, Indian officials say.

India invested at least Rs. 73m ($1.2m) on the new ICP, its second such facility after the one at Attari on the Pakistan border.

In the prior absence of warehousing and other needed services concentrated in one place, businessmen faced many hurdles in exporting their products, Ahmad said.

The new check post facility houses immigration, customs and border security. It also contains passenger and cargo terminals, warehousing facilities, banking, fuelling and automotive services, according to a news release from the Indian High Commission in Dhaka.

"The ICP will now greatly ease movement of goods and people between the northeastern states and Bangladesh," Ahmad added.

Source: Khabar South Asia
BDST: 0927 HRS, JAN 22, 2014