Tripura wants new land custom station with Bangladesh

The Indian state of Tripura is interested to open a new land custom station aiming to make a popular and traditional fair accessible to Bangladeshi visitors.

Lok Sabha MP Rebati Tripura from the northeastern state has written to Union Commerce and Industries Minister Piyush Goyal though work on three major Indo-Bangla connectivity projects — the Agartala-Akhaura passenger railway project, Feni bridge, and a new integrated check post at Sabroom — are underway, reports The Indian Express.

The lawmaker has proposed a custom station at Dhalai district's Raishyabari. The Dhalai district is just across the border at the hill tracts district of Khagrachhari in Bangladesh.

In his letter to the minister, Rebati said that it would grant access to Bangladeshis to visit the traditional Dumboor Mela.

The fair is organized on Makar Sankranti, celebrated in January every year to mark the termination of the winter and the beginning of a new harvest season. It is considered an auspicious event in the Hindu calendar.

The lawmaker explained: "Dumboor fair is organized every year in Raishyabari, which is also known as Sankranti Fair and it attracts lakhs of tourists from around the regions… if Land Custom Station (LCS) is established in Raishyabatri, Dumboor fair will get international flair and would be immensely beneficiary from a commercial perspective and also strengthen economic aspects of the state." 

Tripura already has eight land custom stations, two border haats, and one operational integrated check post with Bangladesh. 

It shares 856km-long international border with Bangladesh.