'Under the ICP scheme, infrastructure and communication facilities will be developed at these check posts to boost trade between the two countries,' a central government official said.

Bangladeshi manufacturers started to export bricks to northeast India from last week, a new item on the export basket. Initially Bangladesh will export 400 million bricks worth Bangladeshi Taka 2.8 billion to Tripura.

'To boost the brick trade, the Indian government has removed the 2.5 percent central custom duty from this month while the Tripura government reduced the value-added tax (VAT) to 4 percent from 12.5 percent,' said Tripura Commerce and Industry Minister Jitendra Chowdhury.

After flagging off the first consignment of bricks from Bangladesh to northeastern India, Bangladesh Commerce Minister Colonel (retired) Faruk Khan said: 'We have decided to increase trade and business with the northeastern region to reduce Bangladesh's trade gap with India.'

'Bangladesh planning commission would soon approve the Taka 116 crore ($16.8 million) project to develop the road and other border infrastructure along Akhaurah land port with India's Tripura state,' Khan told reporters at Akhaurah, 5 km west of Tripura capital Agartala.

'There is a big opportunity for Bangladesh to tap the trans-shipment business between India, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal,' said India-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IBCCI) president Abdul Matlub Ahmad, who led a team here.

Ahmed told newsmen : 'A recent study shows that Bangladesh may gain up to 1.2 billon US dollars or over 8,400 crore Taka through this logistical support.'

'We are targeting exports worth $1 billion to northeast India by 2011 to close the trade gap with New Delhi,' he added.