Shillong: The much-hyped proposed bus service from Shillong to Dhaka, a buzz-word of 2007, could be a small step in India-Bangladesh ties, but for Meghalaya, it
could mean a giant leap as the state shares 443 km of international border with that country.
Just how important Bangladesh is for Meghalaya's economic growth is clear from the fact that Chief Minister D D Lapang made frequent visits to Delhi this year to impress upon
the centre that "the immediate area of international interface for Meghalaya is with Bangladesh".
The Chief Minister has repeatedly told the centre to intensify efforts to start the bus services from Shillong to Dhaka and provide transit access through Bangladesh for the
state's produces and imports.
According to State Chief Secretary Ranjan Chatterjee, the state government is trying hard to do away with restrictive practices for foreign tourists such as the reporting required on their arrival and relaxing the immigrant laws.
About 60,000 Bangladeshi tourists visit India every year, and Shillong is only a few hours journey from Dhaka. "The whole aim is to market the state in Bangladesh,
which is one of our closest neighbours," says State Tourism Minster Charles Pyngrope.
The year saw the state government concentrating on developing infrastructure at Dawki, which is the only viable road link between Meghalaya and Bangladesh. A Meghalaya
tourist office in Dhaka is also on the cards.
In July last the state government told the Tour Operator's Association of Bangladesh (TOAB) to include Shillong and other places of tourists interest in Meghalaya in
the itinerary of Bangladeshi travel enthusiasts.
A TOAB team is expected to visit Shillong soon to take the proposal forward.
Meghalaya has also inked an understanding with its counterpart in West Bengal to get Bangladeshi tourists.
"We want West Bengal to introduce Bangladeshi tourists to the north-east, especially Meghalaya which have hill stations like Shillong and Cherrapunjee. The tourist circuit
to north Bengal can be diverted through Dawki and Shillong," says Meghalaya Tourism Secretary D P Wahlang.
"A tourist on the Shillong-Dhaka journey can have one's breakfast in Dhaka and lunch in Shillong. In the process one can explore the hidden beauty of Meghalaya," he said.
On October 31 this year in New Delhi, during an External Affairs Ministry-convened meeting, the Chief Minister went all out to get a Bangladesh visa office in the state,
besides underscoring the need to improve land customs stations along the border places like Dawki and Gasaupara.
The matter is still pending with the centre. During a recent seminar, president of the society for Informed, Conscious and Responsible Existence (ICARE) Toki
Blah stated, "Meghalaya should be looking towards Bangladesh especially for transit routes to the sea. We have to design our thrust sectors for the look east policy and fit in our own blueprint with that of the centre".
In an important achievement in this regard, the Indian Council for Cultural Relations has decided to open a centre in Shillong. The centre is expected to showcase the rich cultural heritage of the region and build cultural bridges especially with Bangladesh.
Bureau Report
