At a time when Assam is trying to get rid of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants, India has planned to develop the North Eastern states by connecting them with Bangladesh's Chittagong port.
Madhav outlined a plan prepared by the BJP-led government for the development of North East by providing the landlocked region direct access to Bangladesh's Chittagong port instead of shipping the goods all the way from Mumbai and Chennai ports.
"North-East is a special focus area for our government. So we are connecting Tripura with Chittagong port which is about 90 miles," he said.
Through Chittagong port entire North East is connected with ocean trade, he added.
"Right now goods to North East are to be taken by rail and road from Mumbai or Chennai through Kolkata to Guwahati. If we are going to connect to Chittagong port, it will be an excellent connectivity," he said.
The Chittagong port is the busiest seaport on the coastline of the Bay of Bengal.
Madhav said North East connects with five countries, Bangladesh, Bhutan Nepal, Myanmar and China through Tibet.
He said India is developing Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal (BBIN) sub regional hub and even invited China to use North East to access Indian Ocean through Chittagong.
Madhav said India is developing North East as a trade hub.
"We are developing it as a hub for trade. That concept should sit in the minds of business here. They should not look North East as market. You set up market in Guwahati which can access entire Bangladesh market," he said.
In that context, the visit of the ministers is crucial, he added.
