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Abstract
This article examines how cross-border transport cooperation between Bangladesh and adjacent Indian states can reduce logistics costs and expand trade. It maps major road and rail corridors linking Dhaka–Kolkata, Sylhet–Shillong, and Khulna–Petrapole, and reviews the operational realities at land customs stations and river ports. The analysis highlights bottlenecks such as asymmetric axle-load rules, fragmented standards for vehicle fitness, limited hours of LCS operations, and manual documentation that prolongs dwell time. It then explores the role of Chattogram, Mongla and emerging inland terminals in serving hinterland markets on both sides of the border, including opportunities for coastal shipping and transshipment. The article argues that small, technically feasible measures—mutual recognition of vehicle permits, risk-based inspections, and electronic data interchange—could unlock outsized welfare gains and help integrate value chains in textiles, agro-products and light engineering.
Full Text
The body begins by situating the subregional geography: short physical distances but high trade costs due to historical partition and regulatory divergence. Section One quantifies delays and informal payments at key border points using case evidence and benchmarks from other South Asian crossings. Section Two assesses rail connectivity, including the Petrapole–Benapole and Rohanpur–Singhabad links, noting the promise of containerization and through-billing arrangements. Section Three turns to port interfaces: capacity and draft at Chattogram and Mongla, last-mile links, and the potential for Bangladesh’s ports to serve India’s Northeast under transit protocols. Section Four outlines a cooperation toolkit—joint border committees, harmonized SPS/TBT checks, aligned working hours, pre-arrival processing, AEO programs, and green lanes for perishable cargo. Section Five considers political economy, stressing transparency, dispute-resolution mechanisms, and stakeholder mapping that includes logistics firms and border communities. The conclusion argues that incremental trust-building, underwritten by data, can turn borders from frictions into platforms for shared growth and resilience.