This paper is prepared as a follow-up to an ESCAP-led multi-agency mission to Bangladesh-India border areas in July 2023 to identify bottlenecks at borders and technical assistance requirements to enable seamless flow of goods and services across borders.

The paper examines existing trade patterns of the Sylhet and Brahmanbaria divisions of Bangladesh with Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Tripura States in the North-East Region (NER) of India. The paper looks at trade patterns and evaluates the trade potential on various products. It also looks at the non-tariff measures that are applied on these products. The paper also examines trade of Bangladesh with Bhutan and Nepal to examine if some of the products can go via NER India to Bangladesh and outside the region. Finally, the study recommends several practical solutions to the challenges that are being faced at the border by local traders. Many of the identified recommendations are relatively easily implementable as there exist high level of political commitment in Bangladesh and India for undertaking them.