Banglabandha

Banglabandha is a major inland port in northern Bangladesh established to provide a trade link with India, Nepal and Bhutan. The three nations are separated by 52km of Indian territory, known as the Siliguri Corridor. On the Indian side of the border is Phulbari. Border crossing of vehicles between Phulbari and Banglabandha was inaugurated in January 2011.HistoryDespite the geographical proximity of the borders of India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan, the issues of border control and territorial sovereignty have obviously prevented the establishment of direct trade routes. Banglabandha was functioning as a "Land Customs Station" (LCS) before the Government of Bangladesh decided to establish an inland port. To exploit the potential of a three-way trading post, the government of Bangladesh decided to develop an inland port, with facilities such as customs, banking, warehouses, police and immigration posts. It was designed to be Bangladesh's first "export-oriented" inland port, explicitly promoting the transport of Bangladeshi goods to Nepal, India and Bhutan; other Bangladeshi inland ports are mainly used to import goods from India. Nepal favours such an inland port to enable access for its goods to the Mongla and Chittagong seaports.GeographyThe Banglabandha land port is located at the tip of northwestern Bangladesh at. It is 57km north of the Panchagarh town and 7km from Siliguri and Jalpaiguri, in the Indian state of West Bengal. The Indian city of Darjeeling is 58km away to the north. Kankarbhitta, the India-Nepal border transit point for third countries, is 61km away and the India-Bhutan border is 68km away from the Indo-Bangladesh boundary near which Banglabandha stands.