Myanmar construction minister due July 26
Friday, 20 July 2007
FE Report
The construction minister of Myanmar will arrive in Dhaka on July 26 to sign a deal on construction of a proposed 'Friendship Road' between two close-door neighbours, official sources said.
The minister is coming at the head of a delegation on a four-day visit following an invitation by the Ministry of Communication (MoC) last month as both the countries have come closer to ink a deal on the cross border highway after a four-year of hectic negotiation.
Communication Adviser MA Matin will sign the long-awaited deal that will help Dhaka establish road link with Yangon and other East Asian capitals, sources added.
A meeting was held in the MoC Thursday to chalk out an elaborate programme to mark the signing ceremony. The meeting also decided to give special attention to the visiting team.
Earlier, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) Adviser Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury visited Yangon April last when the two sides finally agreed on the terms and conditions of the proposed 'friendship road'.
According to the ministry officials, the singing ceremony will mark the end of a long negotiation and the beginning of the first phase construction work of the 153 kilometres road link that will cost Tk 9.46 billion.
In the first phase, 43 kilometres will be constructed with 23 kilometres road from Ramu to Gundom on the Bangladesh side and 20 kilometres of road from Taungbro to Bawli Bazar on the Myanmar side.
Dhaka has agreed to bear the construction cost of Tk 2.74 billion in the first phase.
The remaining 110 km road of 153 km long proposed will be constructed at a cost of Tk 7.70 billion in the second phase.
Under the 'Look East Policy', the immediate past government took the initiative to construct the highway to be connected with Myanmar, Thailand, China and other East Asian countries.
Bangladesh will be linked with Thailand, China and other Asian countries once the road is constructed.
Experts from both countries met a number of occasions in both Dhaka and Yangon for the last several years to prepare the agreement.
The construction minister of Myanmar will arrive in Dhaka on July 26 to sign a deal on construction of a proposed 'Friendship Road' between two close-door neighbours, official sources said.
The minister is coming at the head of a delegation on a four-day visit following an invitation by the Ministry of Communication (MoC) last month as both the countries have come closer to ink a deal on the cross border highway after a four-year of hectic negotiation.
Communication Adviser MA Matin will sign the long-awaited deal that will help Dhaka establish road link with Yangon and other East Asian capitals, sources added.
A meeting was held in the MoC Thursday to chalk out an elaborate programme to mark the signing ceremony. The meeting also decided to give special attention to the visiting team.
Earlier, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) Adviser Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury visited Yangon April last when the two sides finally agreed on the terms and conditions of the proposed 'friendship road'.
According to the ministry officials, the singing ceremony will mark the end of a long negotiation and the beginning of the first phase construction work of the 153 kilometres road link that will cost Tk 9.46 billion.
In the first phase, 43 kilometres will be constructed with 23 kilometres road from Ramu to Gundom on the Bangladesh side and 20 kilometres of road from Taungbro to Bawli Bazar on the Myanmar side.
Dhaka has agreed to bear the construction cost of Tk 2.74 billion in the first phase.
The remaining 110 km road of 153 km long proposed will be constructed at a cost of Tk 7.70 billion in the second phase.
Under the 'Look East Policy', the immediate past government took the initiative to construct the highway to be connected with Myanmar, Thailand, China and other East Asian countries.
Bangladesh will be linked with Thailand, China and other Asian countries once the road is constructed.
Experts from both countries met a number of occasions in both Dhaka and Yangon for the last several years to prepare the agreement.