Efforts on to put Shillong or Guwahati in Hasina's itinerary

''I will be meeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh tomorrow in Delhi to request him to include Shillong or Guwahati in Ms Hasinas itinerary,'' former Lok Sabha Speaker Purno A Sangma told reporters here today.

Quoting reports, he said the Bangladeshi Prime Minister is also scheduled to visit Agartala.

He said the visit of Ms Hasina to India would have more impact if she visit Shillong or Guwahati that are much closer to Bangladesh.

''I am sure that the Indo-Bangla bilateral ties will get a boost,'' Mr Sangma said.

If Shillong or Guwahati is not included in Hasinas itinerary, he said he would have an audience with her in Delhi.

''I would impressed on her the need for opening up of a transit facility to India via Bangladesh and better trade activities between Meghalaya and Bangladesh,'' Mr Sangma said.

He said there were thriving economic activities between people living at Meghalayas border areas and Bangladesh through the traditional trade system called border 'haat'(markets).

Besides this, he said he would also take up the need to open bus services between Sylhet and Shillong as well as Tura and Dhaka.

A major proposal, which Sangma wants to share with Hasina, is the feasibility of connecting Dhaka to Tura with the use of ADB-funded Bangabandhu Bridge (Jamuna multi-purpose bridge) in Bangladesh.

''At present it takes 1,600 km to travel from Kolkata via Siliguri to reach Guwahati. Since there is less traffic in the 11 km bridge in Bangladesh, a viable route of Calcutta-Dhaka-Tura-Guwahati with the use of the bridge will be feasible that will reduce at least 700 kms,'' Mr Sangma said.

-- (UNI) -- 19CA45.xml

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