Bangaon, Aug 27 (IANS) India plans to build 13 more integrated border checkposts of the kind whose foundation stone Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram laid Saturday at Petrapole in Bangaon, Indian side of the frontier with Bangladesh, seven of which will be along the same border.

Speaking on the occasion, Chidambaram described as significant the Rs. 174-crore project that is expected to be completed in 17 months. "In the past few years, India and Bangladesh have tried to strengthen their relationship," he said. "That gained a new momentum in the last few months. One significant step is integrated checkpost."

He emphasised the importance of such integration for goods traffic. "In fact, we want more goods to come from Bangladesh to India as we want more items produced in India go to Bangladesh. All these require facilities to be created," he said and added that seven of the 13 such checkposts planned will on the Indo-Bangladesh border.

"The Prime Minister of India will visit Bangladesh Sep 6 and 7. It will be a historic visit," Chidambaram said.

"This integrated checkpost provides opportunity to the people of India and Bangladesh to come closer," West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said. "We will go to Bangladesh with the prime minister September 6 to improve relationship between the two countries."