ABSTRACT
Internal trade is more important to Bangladesh than external trade, though it is commonly supposed to be other wise. More than twelve million tons of cargo is handled annually on inland routes, for a total of close to two thousand million ton-miles. The network delineated is the main frame of internal trade routes, the details of which would be too exhaustive for this work. The important fact about internal trade is that it is more important to the village economy than external trade. The opposite holds true for the economy of the urban areas. The pattern of external trade changed very considerably after the war of liberation. Trade with Pakistan used to be the most important feature of the trading pattern till early 1971. During the war this trade decreased to great extent but completely stopped liberation Since. Prior to 1947 Calcutta was the main outlet for area, with Chittagong serving small area in eastern Bengal and southern Assam.
