India has become the largest export partner of Bangladesh, more so than Japan and China, claimed joint secretary (Bangladesh and Myanmar) in the Ministry of External Affairs Smita Pant while addressing the traders and entrepreneurs at Agartala in exploring new trade routes form India’s Northeast to the Bay of Bengal via Bangladesh Transit agreement.

She said exports from India to Bangladesh had touched a new high from 450 million US dollars to 2 billion US dollars. The Agartala-Akhaura rail link project is almost completed on the Indian side, and work on the Bangladesh side is progressing well. It is likelt to be inaugurated by the end of this year and will change the economic landscape of the region.

“Agartala-Akhaura would be the seventh rail link connecting India with the neighbouring country,” she said.

Besides, Assistant High Commissioner of Bangladesh in Agartala Arif Mohammad, chairman of Land Port Authority of India, Aditya Mishra, officials of Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) and export-import trade community and the chamber of Commerce have spoken in the programme.

*With Agency inputs.