Myanmar to be invited to sign deal on friendship road
Friday, 15 June 2007
FE Report
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) has asked the Ministry of Communication (MoC) to invite Myanmar's Ministry of Construction to sign deal for building the proposed 'friendship road' connecting the two neighbours, official sources said.
Both Dhaka and Yangon have come closer to ink a deal on cross border highway when MoFA adviser Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury visited Myanmar April last and initiated the proposed 'friendship road.'
Dhaka will host the final signing ceremony before starting the construction of the first-phase of the 153-km road, sources added.
The MoFA also requested the MoC to complete other formalities regarding the project for approval by the economic affairs committee.
Dhaka and Yangon conceived a plan to construct a road in 2002 and only came close to sign a final deal recently. The project, divided into two phases, will cost some Tk 9.46 billion.
In the first phase, 43-km will be constructed with 23-km road from Ramu to Gundom in Bangladesh side and 20-km of road from Taungbro to Bawli Bazar in Myanmar side.
Bangladesh 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 road will be constructed at a cost of Tk 7.70 billion in the second phase.
Under the 'Look East Policy', the immediate past political regime convinced Myanmar to construct the highway so that Dhaka could connect with Thailand, China and other East Asian countries through Yangon.
According to the communications ministry officials, the road will boost regional cooperation by strengthening economic and trade relations in the South and South-east Asia.
Bangladesh will have easy access to Thailand, China and other Asian countries once the road is constructed.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) has asked the Ministry of Communication (MoC) to invite Myanmar's Ministry of Construction to sign deal for building the proposed 'friendship road' connecting the two neighbours, official sources said.
Both Dhaka and Yangon have come closer to ink a deal on cross border highway when MoFA adviser Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury visited Myanmar April last and initiated the proposed 'friendship road.'
Dhaka will host the final signing ceremony before starting the construction of the first-phase of the 153-km road, sources added.
The MoFA also requested the MoC to complete other formalities regarding the project for approval by the economic affairs committee.
Dhaka and Yangon conceived a plan to construct a road in 2002 and only came close to sign a final deal recently. The project, divided into two phases, will cost some Tk 9.46 billion.
In the first phase, 43-km will be constructed with 23-km road from Ramu to Gundom in Bangladesh side and 20-km of road from Taungbro to Bawli Bazar in Myanmar side.
Bangladesh 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 road will be constructed at a cost of Tk 7.70 billion in the second phase.
Under the 'Look East Policy', the immediate past political regime convinced Myanmar to construct the highway so that Dhaka could connect with Thailand, China and other East Asian countries through Yangon.
According to the communications ministry officials, the road will boost regional cooperation by strengthening economic and trade relations in the South and South-east Asia.
Bangladesh will have easy access to Thailand, China and other Asian countries once the road is constructed.