Business Desk :
The Business Community in Sylhet have been looking for the eastern India’s Seven Sisters of Greater Assam for greater business interests. The Sylhet Business leaders are trying to renovate their relationship with the seven sisters namely- Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Nagaland, Arunachal, Tripura and Mizoram of North Eastern Indian upstream hilly and mountainous states.
In these ‘Seven Sisters’ i.e, seven states of Greater or British Assam of India, communication network has not been developed owing to the geographical situation as all of the states are situated in the heights, valleys, hillocks, hills and in the foot of Eastern Himalayan south foot. Economically these states lag behind the main stream Indian states like Uttar Prodesh, Maddhya Prodesh, West Bengal, Orissha, Tamil Nadu, Moharashtra, the Deccan.
Compared to these mainstream Indian states, the seven sisters are far behind them in terms of communication. i.e. road and rail communications. So the Indian goods merchandised from the Indian states situated to the west of Bangladesh is costlier compared to the goods from Bangladesh, the neighbouring country adjacent to seven sisters. But communication with Bangladesh from the upstream seven sisters are a little bit easier.
So, the businessmen from Bangladesh see a bright prospect for exporting merchandises to those seven sisters of India. The business community particularly exporters of Bangladeshi goods towards India, are optimistic to enhance this opportunity by expanding trade and commerce more with the seven sisters of Assam. The businessmen of Sylhet want to expand the existing trade and commercial ties with seven sisters’ state-governments of India.
The Sylhet-based businessmen are giving emphasis on the exports and expansion of trade and commercial ties with the seven sisters of Greater Assam (India).
Besides, the businessmen are trying to establish an economic zone nearby Tamabil Land Port, Tariff and Royalty Collection Station under Zaintia upazila in Sylhet. Recently a business delegation visited Shilong, the capital city of Meghalaya and called on Meghalayan Chief Minister. In a survey report, it has been unearthed that transporting merchandize from various states of India to seven sisters, the tax becomes double for which the goods and commodities need to be sold in higher price which cannot be afforded by the mostly down trodden people in seven sisters of Assam. For this, the importers of Nagaland, Arunchal, Mizoram, Meghalaya and Tripura always want to import goods from Bangladesh in order to reduce the burden of Tax imposed on them.
On many occasions the businessmen and investors of Nagaland, Arunachal and Mizorum sought co-operation of the business community of Sylhet in order to develop the relationship between Bangladesh with seven sisters of Assam.
A delegate of business community visited Shilong, the capital of Assam on 17th November, 2015 and held a meeting there with the business community leaders of Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Bhutan. After the meeting was over, the then President of Sylhet Chamber of Commerce and Industries (SCCI) Motlub Ahmed said, “India has sought development assistance for seven-sisters from Bangladeshi business community.” Mr. Ahmed said that they (Bangladeshi business delegate) gave the assurance of the infrastructure development of seven sisters of Assam in the fields of trade and commerce.
The Land port, Tariff and Tax station of Tamabil sources informed this correspondent that through land port, Tariff and Royalty Stations, 50 items of commodities like– cement, garments, tissue papers, melamine and ceramic materials, fish, medicine, mineral water, brick, rod, stones, iron rod, PVC pipe, plastic goods, toilet fittings, battery, bicycle, electrical and electronic materials, packaged fruit-juice – are being exported to the seven sisters of Assam.
The businessmen of Sylhet said, ‘The products that are exported to the seven sisters of India are mainly from Chittagong and Dhaka based mills-factories’ products. As there has not been special economic zone in Sylhet, these exportable products are not manufactured in Sylhet, the gateway to the seven sisters. In absence of quality ensuring devices in wearhouses at Tamabil and other land ports in Sylhet, the quality of the exportable merchandizes cannot be certified. In order to remove the hurdles, the business leaders in Sylhet are trying to open new dimensions of export-import processing in the seven sisters of India. They have been trying greatly to find out ways to produce these products in Sylhet and thereafter to export them to the said seven sisters. For this, establishment of an export processing zone is badly needed in Sylhet.
The Business Community in Sylhet have been looking for the eastern India’s Seven Sisters of Greater Assam for greater business interests. The Sylhet Business leaders are trying to renovate their relationship with the seven sisters namely- Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Nagaland, Arunachal, Tripura and Mizoram of North Eastern Indian upstream hilly and mountainous states.
In these ‘Seven Sisters’ i.e, seven states of Greater or British Assam of India, communication network has not been developed owing to the geographical situation as all of the states are situated in the heights, valleys, hillocks, hills and in the foot of Eastern Himalayan south foot. Economically these states lag behind the main stream Indian states like Uttar Prodesh, Maddhya Prodesh, West Bengal, Orissha, Tamil Nadu, Moharashtra, the Deccan.
Compared to these mainstream Indian states, the seven sisters are far behind them in terms of communication. i.e. road and rail communications. So the Indian goods merchandised from the Indian states situated to the west of Bangladesh is costlier compared to the goods from Bangladesh, the neighbouring country adjacent to seven sisters. But communication with Bangladesh from the upstream seven sisters are a little bit easier.
So, the businessmen from Bangladesh see a bright prospect for exporting merchandises to those seven sisters of India. The business community particularly exporters of Bangladeshi goods towards India, are optimistic to enhance this opportunity by expanding trade and commerce more with the seven sisters of Assam. The businessmen of Sylhet want to expand the existing trade and commercial ties with seven sisters’ state-governments of India.
The Sylhet-based businessmen are giving emphasis on the exports and expansion of trade and commercial ties with the seven sisters of Greater Assam (India).
Besides, the businessmen are trying to establish an economic zone nearby Tamabil Land Port, Tariff and Royalty Collection Station under Zaintia upazila in Sylhet. Recently a business delegation visited Shilong, the capital city of Meghalaya and called on Meghalayan Chief Minister. In a survey report, it has been unearthed that transporting merchandize from various states of India to seven sisters, the tax becomes double for which the goods and commodities need to be sold in higher price which cannot be afforded by the mostly down trodden people in seven sisters of Assam. For this, the importers of Nagaland, Arunchal, Mizoram, Meghalaya and Tripura always want to import goods from Bangladesh in order to reduce the burden of Tax imposed on them.
On many occasions the businessmen and investors of Nagaland, Arunachal and Mizorum sought co-operation of the business community of Sylhet in order to develop the relationship between Bangladesh with seven sisters of Assam.
A delegate of business community visited Shilong, the capital of Assam on 17th November, 2015 and held a meeting there with the business community leaders of Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Bhutan. After the meeting was over, the then President of Sylhet Chamber of Commerce and Industries (SCCI) Motlub Ahmed said, “India has sought development assistance for seven-sisters from Bangladeshi business community.” Mr. Ahmed said that they (Bangladeshi business delegate) gave the assurance of the infrastructure development of seven sisters of Assam in the fields of trade and commerce.
The Land port, Tariff and Tax station of Tamabil sources informed this correspondent that through land port, Tariff and Royalty Stations, 50 items of commodities like– cement, garments, tissue papers, melamine and ceramic materials, fish, medicine, mineral water, brick, rod, stones, iron rod, PVC pipe, plastic goods, toilet fittings, battery, bicycle, electrical and electronic materials, packaged fruit-juice – are being exported to the seven sisters of Assam.
The businessmen of Sylhet said, ‘The products that are exported to the seven sisters of India are mainly from Chittagong and Dhaka based mills-factories’ products. As there has not been special economic zone in Sylhet, these exportable products are not manufactured in Sylhet, the gateway to the seven sisters. In absence of quality ensuring devices in wearhouses at Tamabil and other land ports in Sylhet, the quality of the exportable merchandizes cannot be certified. In order to remove the hurdles, the business leaders in Sylhet are trying to open new dimensions of export-import processing in the seven sisters of India. They have been trying greatly to find out ways to produce these products in Sylhet and thereafter to export them to the said seven sisters. For this, establishment of an export processing zone is badly needed in Sylhet.
