Trial run of Bangladesh's two passenger buses with India and Bhutan under the motor vehicle agreement (MVA) of the BBIN has been postponed due to safety reasons and delay in making the agreement effective.
Sources said Bangladesh had proposed to Bhutan to conduct trial run of two passenger bus services from Chittagong to Thimpu from December 19 to 23 to explore the possibility of establishing a route.
It was supposed to cross Dhaka, Hatikumrul, Bogra. Rangpur, Burimari of Bangladesh, Chengrabandha and Shiliguri of India for entering Bhutan through Phuentsholing.
Bangladesh's Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges already selected private Green Line to operate two buses on behalf of the state-run Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC).
Sources said Bangladesh's proposal was rejected by the Chief Planning Officer of Bhutan on the ground of not completing ratification process of the MVA signed by the transport ministers of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal (BBIN). Trial run of another passenger bus between Kolkata and Khulna through Petrapole, Benapole and Jessore, proposed by the West Bengal Surface Transport Corporation Limited, was rejected by Bangladesh on the ground of local-level election scheduled this month.
Sources said the Indian side proposed to conduct the trial run of passenger bus service on December 22 and 23 with two Volvo buses. The Chief Minister of West Bengal had even planned to flag off the bus service.
From November 14 to December 2, a friendship passenger car rally under the BBIN MVA was completed from Bhubeneswar to Kolkata of India through Bhutan and Bangladesh. Though the rally was supposed to touch Nepal as per the MVA, the trip was cut short due to political disturbances in the Himalayan nation.
However, the proposed launching of the four-nation passenger vehicle movement in January has been delayed for at least six months following conflicts over ratification of the MVA by Bhutan and Nepal. Governments of both the Himalayan states face problem in ratifying the MVA, which is a must to make it effective, for political reasons.
Bhutan and Nepal have to ratify the MVA in their respective parliaments. But Nepal is now under pressure over amendment of the country's Constitution. Bhutan, however, deferred the winter session of its lower house till next summer. Though Bhutan had placed the MVA during the last session in November, it faced opposition in the legislature.
Bhutan, however, has formed a high-level committee review the MVA in context of its benefit as opponents consider frequent movement of transports would damage the road infrastructure of the hilly terrain.
   smunima@yahoo.com
Â