Sub-regional BBIN bus run may miss deadline

The launch of passenger bus services under the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal (BBIN) grouping may miss its deadline for further delay in ratifying the motor vehicle agreement (MVA) by two nations.

Sources in Dhaka said this delay will also hold back protocol signing to give the go to the trans-border passenger transport run.

Without the signing of the protocol, they added, passenger service cannot be launched in January.

The BBIN motor agreement will enter into force on its ratification and issuance of notifications by all the four countries.

During the signing ceremony of the BBIN MVA, transport ministers of the four nations had announced launch of the first passenger service on the first day of January, chalking out a six-month work plan.

Official sources said Bhutan was supposed to ratify the MVA in its parliament during the winter session but didn't due to some concerns shown by the opposition.

They said the winter session of the National Council of Bhutan ended last month, not to sit over next six months.

"They have let the issue be discussed under a high-powered committee," said one official, preferring not to be named.

He said the committee is likely to place the deal during the summer session for voting.

However, the National Assembly of Bhutan on its website also stated on November 19 that the House resolved to form a special committee comprising three Members from the Opposition party and four from the ruling party to review the resolution on the Motor Vehicle Agreement for the regulation of passenger and cargo traffic across Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal.

The decision was made in the House amidst concerns raised by the Members of the Opposition on the validity of the resolution on BBIN Agreement arrived at earlier during the session.

Uncertainty about completing ratification by Nepal is also not over as the diplomatic relations of the country with India didn't improve, sources added.

Meanwhile, the government's plan to sign the passenger vehicle protocol while the motorcade of BBIN friendship car rally would stay in the country also didn't work due to the delay in ratification.

Sources said inter-ministerial meeting had already completed the draft of the passenger-vehicle protocol and sent to the Asian Development Bank for a review. The ADB was supposed to conduct the signing ceremony of protocol.

Officials of ministries of Road Transport and Bridges and Foreign Affairs also said they were still working on the planned launch of the first passenger service under BBIN.

They also said the four nations are working on completing other procedures like readying the drafts of cargo protocols.

However, Bhutanese Immigration Officer Tshewang Rinzin, who is participating in the BBIN Friendship car rally, told the FE that the BBIN MVA would definitely come true but it would take time.

Dashrat Risal of Nepal, one of the participants in the BBIN friendship car rally, also told the FE during his stay in Bangladesh that ratification of the MVA by his country would also take time due to internal political situation.

"It is for new constitution, new political issue. The government is now trying to resolve internal political situation," he added.

The transport ministers of the four South Asian nations signed the MVA in Bhutan on June 15 to launch uninterrupted movement of both passenger and freight transports among the four countries.

To give the go-ahead to the sub-regional transport cooperation for regional connectivity, India and Bangladesh ratified the MVA shortly after the signing ceremony. Bangladesh and India ratified the MVA through cabinet endorsement.

But the two former Himalayan monarchies have to ratify the MVA in parliament.

Both the National Council and the National Assembly of Bhutan, the upper and lower houses of the country, meet twice a year.

Nepal's political situation has been critical over the formulation of new constitution by the newly elected government. Over the issue, a political party has kept border areas blocked to press their demands in the constitution, which forced the car rally to drop the country from the rally.

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