Bangladesh - India Cross Border Trade

Bangladesh's strategic location in South Asia gives it a significant role in regional geopolitics, geo-economics, and geo-strategy. Border management, being transnational in nature, requires a holistic and systemic approach. It is a key state function due to the many cross-border exchanges it involves, including trade, investment, migration, tourism, and the sharing of natural resources. This book focuses on Cross Border Trade (CBT) as a critical aspect of border management between Bangladesh and India. It argues that an improved CBT management system can mitigate conflict and enhance land border management. The experience of the EU and other countries shows that both nations can benefit economically from better-managed CBT. Given the vast scope of CBT, including formal, informal, and quasi-formal trade, this research narrows its focus to quasi-formal and informal cross-border trade. The study reveals excellent potential for developing quasi-formal CBT through initiatives like Border Haats (trade in goods) and Cross Border Tourism (trade in services). Effectively addressing the challenges of CBT, particularly quasi-formal and controlled informal trade, can lead to better land border management between Bangladesh and India.