Dynamics of India-Bangladesh Cross Border Trade -A Kaleidoscopic View through Meghalaya

In the current environment, the concept of “border trade” is viewed as one of the possible areas to impact economic development in regions such as the Northeast. Because the region shares 98% of its borders with Bangladesh, Myanmar, Bhutan, and China, the various states in the region may investigate potential markets in their neighboring countries. Bangladesh, is India’s largest commercial partner in South Asia, particularly in the North Eastern Region, due to its geographical proximity. India is now Bangladesh’s single greatest source of imports. The Central Government also recognizes that NER and Bangladesh border trade can be a more convenient way to obtain goods and services from one another rather than from distant sources. Given Meghalaya’s major proportion of Indo-Bangladesh commerce among the NER Indian states, a comprehensive study to assess the dynamics of India’s cross-border trade and evaluate the socioeconomic status of the people living in Meghalaya’s border districts is critical. This study attempts to trace the structure, development, and pattern of border trade between India and Bangladesh via several land customs posts in Meghalaya. The survey also included one functional Kalaichar border haat in Meghalaya, which borders Bangladesh, to assess the socio-economic state of people living in rural locations across the borders of the two nations.