Guwahati: Officials from India and Bangladesh will meet in Dhaka next month to sign an agreement for cross-border trade through small mechanised boats between Dhubri in Assam and Chilmari in Kurigram district of the neighbouring country.

The decision was taken at a meeting here on Tuesday attended by officials, representatives of civil society organisations and experts from both countries on prospects of cross-border trade via small mechanised boats between Dhubri and Chilmari.

Civil society organisations and governments shared knowledge on institutional improvements for facilitating cross-border trade and to create an alternative policy discourse between policy makers and civil society on institutional improvements for facilitating the trade.

The meeting in Dhaka will be attended by officials of ministries concerned from both countries.

Participants discussed the different challenges on movement of small mechanised boats between Dhubri and Chilmari and the implications will it have on trade along the Indo-Bangladesh protocol route. The riverine distance between the two towns is around 55km.

Infrastructure requirements, legal requirements for facilitating the trade route, livelihood opportunities for locals and the implications on women and other marginalised communities was also discussed.

Dhubri and Chilmari are two backward areas located on the bank of the Brahmaputra, which also fall on the functional routes no. 1 and 2 of India and Bangladesh Protocol on Inland Water Transit and Trade route.

These two locations are the last river ports of either country and also serve as the last declared customs and immigration points in each country.

"Allowing movement of cargo through small mechanised boats along the India-Bangladesh protocol route will benefit the local economy and create livelihood," said Mohammad Abu Jafor Howlader, director, marine safety traffic management department, Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority.

Saiful Islam, joint director, BIWTA, said permitting small mechanised boats to ply between Dhubri and Chilmari can be accommodated in the India-Bangladesh protocol, if the boats are surveyed and registered.

CUTS (Consumer Unity & Trust Society) International has carried out a study in partnership with Unnayan Shamannay, Bangladesh, on Prospects of Cross-Border Trade via Small Mechanised Boats between Dhubri and Chilmari.

The study also examined the issues at grassroots and challenges at policy level to facilitate cross border movement of small mechanised boats.

A source said under the present protocol agreement between the countries, there is no mention of small mechanised boats and only movement of vessels is permitted.

"There will have to be an amendment in the protocol to allow movement of small mechanised boats between the two countries," the source said.