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In what could become a game-changer for trade in South Asia, the commerce ministry is proposing to open up the road transport system between India and Bangladesh without waiting for its eastern neighbor to reciprocate. The commerce ministry official said Bangladesh is ideal for such a move because of the large trade traffic between the two countries, which is clogging up the Petrapol land customs station. Bangladesh is India’s largest trading partner in South Asia. In 2012-13, India exported goods worth $5.1 billion while its imports were $639 million. The commerce ministry is arguing that opening up the road traffic system makes policy sense, given that New Delhi has unilaterally liberalized trade by introducing zero tariffs on many textile items it imports from Bangladesh.