Shillong, Jul 23 (IANS): It made for an emotional moment when Indian and Bangladeshi traders met after 40 years at Kalaichar in Meghalaya where the traditional 'haats' along the border reopened Saturday.
At 10 a.m., India Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma and his Bangladesh counterpart Faruk Khan inaugurated the haats in West Garo Hills district and Baliamari in Bangladesh's Kurigram district.
The once thriving centres of trade and commerce were shut down after the creation of Bangladesh out of East Pakistan in 1971.
More such 'haats' are to revived in other areas of the state.