5 border markets closed in Sylhet for 7 months

Five border markets (border haats) have been closed in Sylhet and Sunamganj for seven months. These border haats have been closed since the political change on August 5. As a result, there has been disappointment among local traders as poverty and deprivation became a daily companion to them. Of these five haats, one is in Sylhet district and the remaining four are in Sunamganj district. The process of launching a total of three border haats in Sylhet district began in 2023. Of these, a decision was taken to launch one in Bholaganj of Companiganj upazila, one in the Sanatanpunji area of Kanaighat upazila, and another in Muria of Beanibazar. In the meantime, the first border market in the district was launched in Bholaganj of Companiganj upazila on May 6, 2023. The remaining two are still stuck in acquisition complications.

On April 24, 2012, the first border haat of Sunamganj district was opened in the Dolura area bordering Jahangirnagar Union of Sadar Upazila. The second border haat was opened on May 12, 2023, between Baganbari in Boglabazar Union of Doarabazar Upazila of the district and Rinku area of India. In the same year, two more border haats were opened in Tahirpur Upazila of the district. On May 24, 2023, the third border haat of the district and the 14th border haat of the country were opened under the joint management of Bangladesh-India at Laure Garh in Tahirpur Upazila of Sunamganj district and the West Hill border of India under the name 'Sayedabad Border Haat'. In the same year, another border haat was opened in Shahidabad in Badaghat Union of the district and Nalikata in Meghalaya state of India.

Border haats are opened in the border areas of the country to improve the quality of life of the people of the two countries in the border areas by making locally produced goods, including daily necessities, easily available to them. These markets were launched to prevent illegal infiltration and smuggling between the two countries improve economic and social relations as well as create new employment opportunities. Trading was carried out in these markets from morning to afternoon. Locals said that the closure of the markets has caused hardship to the card-holding traders and residents.

Traders of the Tahirpur border market said that the Shahidabad-Nolikata border market in the upazila was closed last August after the anti-discrimination movement of students and the public. Due to its long closure, all the traders of the border market have become unemployed and are living in difficulty. The same situation is faced by the traders of the Shahidabad-Nolikata border market near the zero line of the border in Shahidabad of Badaghat union of the upazila and in the Nolikata area adjacent to Ghomaghat in West Khasi Hills, Meghalaya, India. There is a desolate silence in the market area without buyers and sellers. Locals demand that these market activities be resumed soon.

In 2018, an agreement was signed between the two countries to build a border haat to expand trade between India and Bangladesh. According to the agreement, there is a barbed wire fence around this 75-foot-long and wide border haat and two gates on both sides. People living within a 5-kilometer area of the border haat can buy and sell goods at this haat. People outside the five-kilometer area have to get permission from the Border Haat Management Committee to enter and shop at the haat. Each haat will be held one day a week. No one other than specific cardholders can shop at the haat. There is an opportunity to shop as a tourist with the permission of the administration.

The haat will have 25 shops each for traders from both countries and 540 card-holding buyers from both countries. No buyer can buy goods worth more than 200 US dollars. Apart from this, no product could be purchased individually for 200 dollars, five products had to be purchased.

Jahangir Alam, a card-holding trader at the Shahidabad-Nolikata border haat, said that they are facing difficulties with their families due to the closure of the border haat for six months. He demanded the administration open the market quickly.

Resident Billal Hossain said that while the market was open, there was a huge demand for plastic products from Bangladesh among the residents across the border (India). At every market, traders would sell all the plastic products before the afternoon.

Tahirpur Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) and President of the Shahidabad-Nolikata Border Market Management Committee Md. Abul Hashem said that this is a state matter between the two countries. He has no information about when the border market will open. He will contact the higher authorities regarding the opening of the market.