Famous weekly Mart of Tripura near B’desh border back by 3 years

Agartala: One of the two border haats or weekly trading marts along the Bangladesh border in Srinagar under Tripura’s South Tripura district finally reopened on Tuesday to visitors, shopkeepers and consumers after more than three years. While it was suspended due to Covid-19. Pandemic in 2020.

This particular border trading post is a source of economic and cultural exchange between the local communities of Sabroom subdivision of South Tripura, India and Feni district of Bangladesh.
Thousands of people from Tripura and different parts of Bangladesh visited the market on its resumption. Speaking to the Media, District Magistrate South Tripura District Saju Waheed said, “It has been more than three years since the market was closed. I have been posted here for two years and the restoration of trade has been done by the stakeholders and the Border Haat Management Committees is the result of many distant meetings.
A total of 1,200 vendors registered at the mart on Tuesday. “All the old shopkeepers who had obtained identity cards as approval to do business at this special site were allowed to set up their shops in sheds,” said Waheed.

Most shopkeepers’ identity cards expired as they could not do business for three years. The matter was raised in the last meeting of the Border Management Committee, where members unanimously agreed to extend the period of ID cards.
“Accordingly, fresh cards with extended validity have been provided to all vendors,” the DM added.
Srinagar’s Sardar Haat is unique for its availability of fresh fish. “Most people come here to buy fresh fish from Bangladesh. This is the most important part of this mart,” said the district magistrate.
According to reports, people visit this market from far and wide to buy Hilsa fish.
Meanwhile, the other border hut at Kamlasagar in Sepahijala district is not considered to be very popular for fresh fish. When contacted, an official of the Industries and Commerce Department said, “The Joint Border Haat Management Committee meeting is scheduled to be held next week to reopen the Kamalasagar border haat. Possibly, the other haat also by the end of this month.” will be reopened.
Sources said six more border huts are proposed in various parts of Tripura in almost all the districts of the state. Tripura shares an 856 km long international border with Bangladesh on three sides of the state’s geographical boundaries.