Members of the West Dinajpur Chamber of Commerce (WDCC) have recently sent a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, urging them to start the international roadways export trade with Bangladesh through the Indo-Bangladesh border at Radhikapur in Kaliyaganj in North Dinajpur district.

WDCC, the organisation of traders from both North and South Dinajpur districts, has also informed Mr Modi and Mr Shah that Radhikapur was well connected with Bangladesh through roads and that there is an existing railway export zone set up at Radhikapur with Bangladesh.

“There is also adequate road infrastructure between the two countries in that area,” a WDCC member said. According to the General Secretary of the WDCC, Shankar Kundu, former union information and broadcasting minister and Congress MP from Raiganj, Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi, had earlier taken initiatives to set up an international roadways export zone with Bangladesh at Radhikapur.

“A few years ago, a new concrete bridge was built on the Tangan river there, along with a strong approach road in Radhikapur. Now, merchants of North Dinajpur district have been exporting goods to Bangladesh through a roundabout route, for which they are paying high rates as transport costs.

If this roadways export zone is done through Radhikapur, the traders will be able to reach many places of Bangladesh through a shorter route. The region of Radhikapur will also see economic development. As such, we have urged the prime minister and the home minister to consider the matter,” Mr Kundu said.

He added that they had also met the former union minister of state for child and women welfare department and sitting BJP MP from Raiganj, Debasree Choudhuri, and urged her to take up the issue of opening the international roadways export zone with Bangladesh through Radhikapur.”She had also brought the issue to the central government’s notice,” Mr Kundu said.

When contacted, Miss Choudhuri, on the other hand, said, “I have held discussions with the union home department on this matter. They will send a central team to inspect the spot very soon.”