Skip to main content

Act east policy? Naga businesses 'interested' to deal with Bangladesh counterparts

By Samara Ashrat* 
The northeast of India is fast gaining attention for its rich economic resources and strategic location. It is positioned to serve India’s strategic vision encompassed in the Act East Policy. Economically, the region has large deposits of oil, natural gas, coal and limestone, and a sizable proportion of land under cultivation for agro-horticulture products, bamboo and rubber.
Besides a wide range of natural, archaeological, and cultural tourist sites, this region also provides opportunities for medical tourism. It shares international borders with Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, and Myanmar. The region acts as a land bridge for India’s participation in institutional forums, including the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multisectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation and the South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) programme.
Furthermore, access to Myanmar offers great potential to integrate India with other Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries. Nagaland, a northeastern state in India, is looking to forge a mutually beneficial investment relationship with Bangladesh, taking advantage of the country's port facilities to explore new trade avenues.

Nagaland eyes trade potentials in Bangladesh

A delegation led by Business Association of Nagas (BAN) president Mongkum Jamir recently visited Bangladesh to discuss the potential of bilateral trade at the invitation of Abdul Matlub Ahmad, president of India-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IBCCI). Nagaland businesses plan to export bamboo chips and coffee to Bangladesh, while Bangladesh would send garment products to Northeast India. Nagaland produces world-class coffee that could be processed and exported globally through Bangladesh.
Nagaland businessmen are also interested in exporting fruits for juice and packaged food production. The India-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IBCCI) and the Business Association of Nagas (BAN) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance trade relations at Niathu Resort in Dimapur on April 6, 2023.
The MoU signed on the sidelines of the B20 Business Summit at Kohima will aim to facilitate the exchange of information, expertise and technology in the area of agriculture, food processing, bamboo, tourism, textiles, IT services, mineral and renewable energy.
The agreement will also promote bilateral trade and investment between Bangladesh and Nagaland, with both organisations providing the necessary assistance and support to their respective business communities, working together on joint projects and initiatives, reducing trade barriers and improving market access for each other's goods and services. Bangladeshi government's support for mutual import-export of agri-based and other resources and suggested a direct Sylhet-Dimapur flight.

Why Bangladesh

Northeast India shares an 800-kilometer border with Bangladesh, offering ample investment opportunities for Nagaland businesses. Siliguri Corridor is one of the most geographical compulsions for India. This narrow corridor separated the whole North Eastern region from the Indian Mainland. Bangladesh creates a broader nexus between the Indian mainland and the North Eastern region.
Traveling within India, Agartala is 1,650km from Kolkata and 2,637km from New Delhi through Shillong and Guwahati. The journey between Agartala and Kolkata via Bangladesh, on the other hand, is only about 550km. Furthermore, the average distance between Bangladesh's major cities and northeast India is 20km to 300km.
As a result, Bangladesh is always considered crucial for the North-Eastern region's connectivity with mainland India by rail, road, and river routes. So, the bilateral ties and engagements between India and Bangladesh help in exploring many new windows of possibilities for Nagaland, ranging from trade and commerce to culture and tourism.

Initiatives takes

The route through Assam is the shortest possible route for Bangladesh-Nagaland trade initiatives. That’s why the connectivity needs to be uninterrupted. India is planning to build a new road link via a four-lane bridge across the Kushiyara river to connect Bangladesh and Assam.
India has planned road connectivity with Bangladesh by constructing a 300-metre four-lane bridge over the Kushiyara River and an around 600-metre road in the Karimganj sector of the Indo-Bangla border connecting Karimganj in Assam and Jakiganj Upozila in the Sylhet district in Bangladesh. Nearly half of the 900-metre road project will be in Assam (Karinganj) and the other half in Bangladesh. Once the road will be completed, the trade ties between Nagaland and Bangladesh will get a boost.
Not only that, to boost bilateral trade, India-Bangladesh have launched 36 land ports include five comprehensive depots. The latest one is in Dawki of Meghalaya. The connectivity has been improved with the North East region. The region can contribute more to the strengthening of two neighboring economies. The businessmen from Nagaland can also invest in developing economic zones in Bangladesh.
Moreover, Bangladesh and Nagaland have signed 34 agreements for mutual benefits, paving the way for a stronger economic partnership between the two regions. The collaborative efforts of these business communities will not only boost their respective economies but also foster a stronger bond between the neighboring countries.
---
*PhD fellow, International Relations, University of Bucharest

Comments

Post a Comment

TRENDING

When democracy becomes a performance: The Tibetan exile experience

By Tseten Lhundup*  I was born in Bylakuppe, one of the largest Tibetan settlements in southern India. From childhood, I grew up in simple barracks, along muddy roads, and in fields with limited resources. Over the years, I have watched our democratic system slowly erode. Observing the recent budget session of the 17th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, these “democratic procedures” appear grand and orderly on the surface, yet in reality they amount to little more than empty formalities. The parliamentarians seem largely disconnected from the everyday struggles faced by ordinary exiled Tibetans like us.
Post a Comment
»

Study links sanctions to 500,000 deaths annually leading to rise in global backlash

By Bharat Dogra  International opinion is increasingly turning against the expanding burden of sanctions imposed on a growing number of countries. These measures are contributing to humanitarian crises, intensifying domestic discord, and heightening international tensions, thereby increasing the risks of conflicts and wars. 
Post a Comment
»

Dhurandhar: The Revenge — Blurring the line between fiction and political narrative

By Mohd. Ziyaullah Khan*  "Dhurandhar: The Revenge" does not wait to be remembered; it arrives almost on the heels of its predecessor, released on March 19, 2026, just months after the first film’s December 2025 debut. The speed of its arrival feels less like creative urgency and more like calculated timing—cinema responding not to storytelling rhythm but to the emotional climate of its audience. Director Aditya Dhar, along with actor Yami Gautam, appears acutely aware of this moment and how to harness it.
Post a Comment
»

Beyond the island: Top mythologist reorients the geography of the Ramayana

By Jag Jivan   In a compelling new analysis that challenges conventional geographical assumptions about the ancient epic, writer and mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik has traced the roots of the Ramayana to the forests and river systems of Central and Eastern India, rather than the peninsular south or the modern island nation of Sri Lanka.
Post a Comment
»

BJP accounts for 99% of political donations in Gujarat: Corporate giants dominate

By Jag Jivan   An analysis of the official data on donations received by national parties from Gujarat during the Financial Year 2024-25 reveals a staggering concentration of funding, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accounting for nearly the entirety of the contributions. The data, compiled in a document titled "National Parties donations received from Gujarat during FY-2024-25," lists thousands of transactions, painting a detailed picture of the financial backing for political parties from one of India’s most industrially significant states.
1 comment
»

Alarming decline in India's repair culture threatens circular economy goals: Study

By Jag Jivan  A comprehensive new study by environmental research and advocacy organisation Toxics Link has painted a worrying picture of India's fading repair culture, warning that the trend towards replacement over repair is accelerating the country's already critical e-waste crisis.
1 comment
»

Captains extraordinaire: Ranking cricket’s most influential skippers

By Harsh Thakor*  Ranking the greatest cricket captains is a subjective exercise, often sparking passionate debate among fans. The following list is not merely a tally of wins and losses; it is an assessment of leadership’s deeper impact. My criteria fuse a captain’s playing record with their tactical skill, placing the highest consideration on their ability to reshape a team’s fortunes and inspire those around them. A captain who inherited a dominant empire is judged differently from one who resurrected a nation’s cricket from the doldrums. With that in mind, here is my perspective on the finest leaders the game has ever seen.
Post a Comment
»

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.
59 comments
»

‘No merit’ in Chakraborty’s claims: Personal ethics talk sans details raises questions

By Jag Jivan  A recent opinion piece published in The Quint by Subhash Chandra Garg has raised questions over the circumstances surrounding the resignation of Atanu Chakraborty from HDFC Bank , with Garg stating that the exit “raises doubts about his own ‘ethics’.” Garg, currently Chief Policy Advisor at Subhanjali and former Secretary of the Department of Economic Affairs, Government of India, writes that the Reserve Bank of India ( RBI ) appears to find no substance in Chakraborty’s claims, noting, “It is clear the RBI sees no merit in Atanu Chakraborty’s wild and vague assertions.”
Post a Comment
»