Ahead of the second phase of polling in Assam for the 18th Lok Sabha, on April 26, the ruling BJP in the state has set its hopes of retaining the prized Karimganj constituency on the development of public infrastructure to support trade.

However, the BJP candidate faces a two-fold challenge from the Congress and the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) this time even as it seeks to keep hold of the prestigious seat.

Karimganj lies on the state’s borders with neighbouring Bangladesh, while also sharing an inter-state border with Mizoram and Tripura.

Sutarkandi, which lies about 15 km from Karimganj town, is the only trading centre or hub in the district that is home to a land port.

The exchange of commerce or trade between India and Bangladesh happens majorly through the Sutarkandi Land Port in the Karimganj district. However, the volume of bilateral trade through this land port has come up by leaps and bounds over the last couple of years, under the BJP government.

Local businessmen and small traders are hopeful of a further increase in trade (export and import) between New Delhi and its eastern neighbour in the coming days.

According to the Land Ports Authority of India, there are 11 operational land ports in the country–at Attari, Agartala, Dawki, Petrapole, Raxaul, Rupaidiha, Jogbani, Moreh, Sutarkandi, Srimantapur and PTB at Dera Baba Nanak.

Till January, this year, the Land Ports in the country facilitated trade worth a combined Rs 47,594 crores, according to official data.

In 2007, the then-Assam government set up a Border Trade Centre to facilitate commerce with the country’s overseas partners at Sutarkandi. A customs checkpost was also set up to enable a smoother trade flow. The Centre exports fruits, coal, and silicon through the land port, while the other items traded at Sutarkandi include palm and soya oil, food items, soft drinks, plastic, household goods, and waste cotton.

Speaking to media ahead of polling in the constituency, Imdadul Hoque Choudhury, a trader in the Sutarkandi area, said the increase in commerce between India and Bangladesh through the land port has brought bulk benefits to locals.

“I have been involved in trade through this route since 2016-17. Even 10 years ago, poor road connectivity in the district affected trade. However, since the BJP-led NDA came to power at the Centre, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the volume of trade has picked up and road connectivity, too, has improved significantly. Today, India and Bangladesh share robust trade ties and the central government has helped and supported in carrying out trade on this route. The strong bilateral ties between India and Bangladesh have also led to a quantum leap in the volume of trade,” Choudhury told ANI.

He informed that on an average, 3500 stone-laden trucks and another 300-400 heavy commercial vehicles, carrying coal, cross over into Bangladesh. The volume of exports from the Indian side to Bangladesh has also registered an increase.

“Items used in railway construction are also being shipped to Bangladesh. Ginger is exported as well. There are about 5,000 families that are directly or indirectly involved and benefitted through trade through the Sutarkandi check post,” Choudhury added.

Nazrul Islam, another trader in the area, affirmed the improvement in road connectivity, saying, “The volume of exports to Bangladesh has grown noticeably and our income through trade has also gone up. We are happy with the current state of affairs here. All the development here has happened under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi.’

More than 14.14 people are registered to vote in the Karimganj Lok Sabha constituency this year.

The BJP has repeated sitting MP Kripanath Mallah from this seat. He is up against the Congress’ Hafiz Rashid Ahmed Choudhury and AIUDF candidate Sahabul Islam Choudhury.

Karimganj Lok Sabha constituency comprises six assembly segments–Hailakandi, Algapur-Katlicherra, Karimganj North, Karimganj South, Patharkandi and Ramkrishna Nagar.