BBIN MVA a big step

The country's road transport and bridge sector in 2015 saw some historic initiatives and deals to foster regional connectivity.
The just-concluded year began with efforts to sign the Motor Vehicle Agreement (MVA) among four South Asian nations after such an effort under the SAARC platform failed.
Transport ministers from Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal (BBIN) finally inked the deal at Thimphu in Bhutan on June 15 opening up borders for each other for movement of motor vehicles carrying both passengers and freights.
The joint initiative declared a six-month work plan to make the historic effort effective and launch a cross-border passenger bus service from January 2016. But it has been deferred for at least six months as two member countries -- Bhutan and Nepal -- are yet to ratify the agreement in their respective parliaments. But a BBIN car rally was held from November 14 to December 2 crossing the corridors of India, Bhutan and Bangladesh.
Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina and her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi flagged off the bus service between Dhaka and Shilong on June 6 after signing another MVA between Bangladesh and India during the Indian Prime Minister's visit to Bangladesh.
Earlier on June 1, another trial run of passenger buses between Paschimbanga and Tripura through Dhaka began.
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