Govt to finalise strategies on transit, port facilities to Nepal, Bhutan this month

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Nazmul Ahsan
The government will finalise its strategies by the current month on how to provide Nepal and Bhutan with transit and port facilities, a senior official in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said.
The strategies will also outline methodologies for closer cooperation in the areas of power and water with the two sub-regional countries.
A recent inter-ministerial meeting, held at the PMO decided to quicken the process of sub-regional cooperation in the areas of transit, transshipment, ports, water and power. The meeting was presided over by Moshiur Rahman, Economic Affairs Adviser to the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, sources said.
The PMO, to implement the decisions taken at the meeting, directed different ministries and agencies of the government on Thursday to carry out their tasks, specified in the directives, by this month to strike a number of deals with Nepal and Bhutan within the shortest possible time, official sources said.
According to the directives, the communication ministry has been asked to prepare the latest updates on transit agreements with Nepal and Bhutan on both road and waterways. Besides, the ministry will appraise the PMO on the draft agreement on the modalities of movement of transports between Dhaka and Katmandu, the directives added.
The Ministry of Commerce has been assigned with the responsibility to brief the PMO on international regulations of transit and examining the set criteria of World Trade Organisation (WTO) on transit and transshipment issues.
The directives of PMO asked shipping ministry to formulate modalities on using Chittagong and Mongla ports by Bhutan and Nepal. The ministry will outline every aspect of existing capacities of ports and possible pressure due to exporting and importing activities of goods to and from the countries concerned, an official said.
He said no question of taking policy decision arises as the commitment to provide Nepal and Bhutan with port facilities were given by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during her visit to India in January.
"It's a political decision. We as bureaucrats will outline how the country might be benefited in the best possible way in providing Nepal and Bhutan with port facilities," a shipping ministry official said.
"We will suggest the PMO to increase capacities and efficiency of Chittagong port before striking any deal with India, Nepal and Bhutan for using our ports," he added
The directives asked Power Division to prepare two Memorandums of Articles of Associations to import power from Nepal and Bhutan to address the country's nagging power situation.
Besides, the directive asked water resources ministry to prepare a brief on increasing cooperation in water sector with Nepal and Bhutan.
"Issues like transit, port and power will be finalized soon between Bangladesh-Nepal and Bhutan," an official in the PMO said.
"We have to come out from bureaucratic tangle and inertia in striking deals on port and transit as the highest political commitment remains in this connection."
Officials in the ministries of communication and commerce said draft agreements on transit and transport modalities are almost final. The government now may go forward with the agreements after approving those.
"After approving the draft agreements from the highest authority, negotiations will take place with signatory countries before striking the deals," a top trade official told the FE.