Shipping secretaries of Bangladesh and India will meet in New Delhi later this month where extension of validity of river protocol and operation of cargo and coastal passenger vessels between the two countries will top the agenda, officials said.
They said the validity of the bilateral protocol on the Inland Water Transit and Trade (PIWTT) under which inland vessels of one country can transit through the specified routes of the other country expired on March 31.
The renewal of the PIWTT has now become stalled as the Bangladesh-India bilateral trade deal also awaits its renewal as its validity also expired last month.
The renewal of the PIWTT will be in line with the renewal of the trade deal, said a senior official of ministry of shipping (MoS).
Contacted, shipping secretary Shafique Alam Mehdi confirmed meeting with his Indian counterpart on April 20-22 in New Delhi but declined to elaborate on issues to be discussed.
The last meeting between the two secretaries was held in New Delhi in February 2013.
According to officials, the launching of an Indo-Bangladesh coastal shipping service is being delayed because of delay in signing of an agreement and finalisation of standard operating procedure (SoP).
The two sides have already finalised the draft of the proposed deal but India is yet to return the draft SoP with its opinion even after Bangladesh sent it to Delhi six months back.
On February 12 this year, the MoS sent a reminder and an official of the department of shipping talked with the Indian High Commission officials in Dhaka.
However, India is yet to respond positively to the SoP. A MoS official said during the shipping secretary- level meeting, quickening of procedures on signing of the coastal shipping deal will be discussed.
Besides, plying of passenger vessels to boost tourism between the two neighbouring countries will also be discussed in the meeting.
He said issues like Indian assistance for construction of an inland container terminal at Ashuganj, enhancement of maintenance charges for the protocol routes, and increasing of the number of ports of call for vessels will be raised by the Bangladesh side.
Besides, collection of customs-related transit charges, transit guarantee regime, Indian assistance for capital dredging of the Bangladesh-India protocol routes, landing permission for crew at the bunkering points in India and review of freight charged on Bangladesh operators will be also discussed.
The official said since the renewal of the PIWTT is being delayed; the tenure of the protocol may be extended until June this year through a letter of exchange until it is renewed for a mutually agreed time.
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