Tripura Pushes Bangladesh for Fair Trade on Tea and Rubber

Agartala: Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha met with Bangladesh High Commissioner M Riaz Hamidullah on Friday to demand fairer trade terms. Saha wants Bangladesh to slash high import duties on rubber and tea to help his state compete. Current taxes price Tripura goods out of the market.

Saha laid it out plainly during the Destination Tripura Business Conclave. "Our tea cannot compete because of the high import duty. The same issue affects value-added rubber products. We have requested that Tripura be given a fair opportunity in the Bangladesh market," he said. He described the proposed fix as a simple give-and-take.

Tripura is willing to take in more fish, stone chips, and cement from Bangladesh in exchange. Economic ties have cooled since political upheaval hit Bangladesh in August 2024. This freeze stalled major infrastructure projects like the Maitri Setu and the Agartala-Akhaura rail line. Both remain shuttered despite construction finishing months ago.

Hamidullah kept the focus on soft power. He wants to screen award-winning Bangladeshi films in India to spark better cultural ties. The diplomat claimed Dhaka remains committed to trade. He insisted officials are still hammering out ways to simplify border logistics.