Bangladesh has earmarked nine priority sectors to bring under development cooperation with neighbouring India under a comprehensive accord, officials said.
The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) in a recent meeting discussed the sectors to be dealt under the umbrella agreement, they added.
Dhaka and New Delhi signed a framework agreement on cooperation on September 06, 2011, when the then Indian Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, visited Bangladesh.
The sectors identified for cooperation are: power and hydropower, energy, commerce, connectivity (rail, road, water and motor vehicle), customs and immigration regulations, water management, and Mongla port's capacity building and capital dredging.  Â
Besides, overall management of Chittagong seaport, bond facilities, warehouse, transportation from Chittagong to Akhaura-Ashuganj via rail, road and water, motor-vehicle agreement (for limited routes initially), training for Ruppur nuclear power-plant officials, and multimodal transit to Nepal and Bhutan with transhipment are also packaged in the cooperation agenda.
Officials said the ministry of foreign affairs has sent the copy of the framework agreement to ministries and divisions concerned to perceive its spirit and act accordingly.
The officials have been asked to derive protocols from the framework agreement, instead of bilateral trade agreement between India and Bangladesh, in taking any measure for development cooperation. Â
The two neighbouring nations signed the framework accord to promote trade, investment and economic cooperation between them.
The countries agreed to take steps to narrow huge trade gap, gradually remove tariff and non-tariff barriers, and facilitate trade-by road, rail, inland waterways, air and shipping.
They also decided to encourage the development of appropriate infrastructure, use of seaports, multimodal transportation and standardisation of means of transport for bilateral and sub-regional use.
A senior official of the ministry of shipping told the FE that the two countries have already started cooperation on the basis of the provisos of the framework agreement.
Mentioning Bangladesh's recent approval for transhipment of 35,000 tonnes of food-grains to India's north-eastern states the official said, "Bangladesh is also considering allowing regular transhipment to the neighbouring country."
He also said Dhaka is in talks for signing a transit agreement, which will pave the way for Bangladeshi goods-laden vehicles to drive into Bhutan and Nepal through Indian territories.
"The transit deal will also be signed in line with the spirit of the framework agreement for development cooperation."
Bangladesh needs large-scale investment from India to develop its infrastructures and enrich manpower technically, he added.
A commerce ministry official said both Bangladesh and India need bilateral cooperation to develop their respective territories as well as boost trade.
"India has to come up with a helping mentality to assist Bangladesh in boosting its export through removing non-tariff and para-tariff barriers, so that the growing trade imbalance can be narrowed," he opined.
Bangladesh's export to India is still very meagre in figure though the latter has granted duty- and quota-free access of LDC (least developed countries) goods to its market, he noted.
syful-islam@outlook.com
9 sectors on govt wish list
Syful Islam | Published: February 20, 2015 00:00:00 | Updated: February 20, 2015 00:12:00
Share if you like