POTENTIAL OF NEW BUSINESS CORRIDORS BETWEEN BANGLADESH AND INDIA’S NORTHEAST: BANGLADESH PERSPECTIVE

This article explores the potential of creating new business corridors between Bangladesh and the landlocked northeastern states of India, from a Bangladeshi perspective. It argues that enhancing connectivity and trade with India's Northeast represents a major, and largely untapped, economic opportunity for Bangladesh. The study examines the various potential corridors and connectivity projects, including the use of Bangladeshi ports, waterways, and roads for the transit of goods to and from the Northeast. The research analyzes the significant mutual benefits of such corridors. For India's Northeast, it would dramatically reduce the time and cost of trade by providing much shorter access to the sea. For Bangladesh, it would generate significant revenues from transit fees and would stimulate the development of a logistics and services industry. The paper also provides a realistic assessment of the challenges that need to be overcome, from the need for massive investment in infrastructure to the simplification of customs and transit procedures. The analysis concludes with a strong call for a proactive and collaborative approach to transform this vision of new business corridors into a reality.

The economic geography of the eastern subcontinent presents a powerful, yet historically unfulfilled, logic for cooperation between Bangladesh and the northeastern states of India. This paper provides a detailed analysis, from a Bangladeshi perspective, of the immense potential of creating new business corridors to realize this logic. The study begins by highlighting the geographical paradox: that India's Northeast, while physically close to the rest of India, is economically distant, and its natural and most cost-effective access to the sea lies through Bangladesh. The core of the article is an exploration of the transformative economic potential of opening up this access. It analyzes the specific opportunities for Bangladesh's ports, particularly Chittagong and Mongla, to become the primary gateways for the international trade of the entire sub-region. It also examines the potential for developing integrated, cross-border value chains in sectors like agriculture and agro-processing. The paper then shifts to a focus on the necessary conditions for realizing this potential. It makes a strong case for a massive, coordinated, and jointly-funded investment program in the required transport infrastructure, including roads, railways, and inland waterways. It also emphasizes the crucial importance of a simple, transparent, and efficient transit regime to ensure the seamless movement of goods. The findings suggest that the creation of these business corridors would be a win-win of historic proportions, and the paper concludes with a call for the political leadership on both sides to seize this opportunity.