Meghalaya seeks border trade centers with Bangladesh

Shillong, Apr 21 (UNI) Meghalaya Governor M M Jacob today stressed on opening up of border trade centres along the India-Bangladesh border for better economic ties between the neighbours.

''Meghalaya is already supplying coal and limestone to Bangladesh.

The people on both sides will benefit if more border trade centres are opened,'' Jacob said at the North-Eastern Hill University(NEHU) here while inaugurating a two-day international seminar on 'Bangladesh: National, Regional and Global Contexts'.

The governor said that Bangladesh had an important role to play in strengthening ties between countries in the South Asian region.

''I hope that Bangladesh, being the main architect of SAARC, will have a positive perception towards strengthening regionalism in South Asia. Bilateral problems in this region relate to security threats and better relations depend to a great extent on their positive role, magnanimity and the spirit of accommodation,'' said the governor.

The two-day seminar - attended by delegates from India, Bangladesh and Germany - aims at deliberating on the process of globalisation in Bangladesh and what are its likely implications on the country. The seminar will also discuss the challenges faced by the country in the backdrop of a subdued civil society and rising fundamentalism.

The seminar has been organised by the Allahabad-based Society for Peace, Security and Development Studies (SPSDS), the Konrad Adenauer Foundation and NEHU.

UNI SG PL KLC1642