Nepal to get transit facility thru' Bangladesh under a new deal
Tuesday, 11 August 2009
Nazmul Ahsan
Nepal will receive the transit facility to carry its export and import cargoes to and from the Mongla port of Bangladesh under a new deal likely to be signed between the two countries soon, according to sources.
The Core Group on Connectivity Matters at a meeting held on Sunday cleared the longstanding issue with Nepal with its Chairman Ali Kabir, who is also the secretary for communication ministry, in the chair.
The facility will be awarded to Nepal under the deal, titled 'Agreement on operating modalities for the carriage of transit/trade cargo between Nepal and Bangladesh', sources added.
"The agreement is likely to be signed very soon as we have okayed the draft agreement,'' a high official in the communication ministry said.
''At least six to seven rounds of negotiations took place between Katmandu and Dhaka spanning over five years.''
The high officials of the ministries of communication, commerce, foreign affairs and revenue board are the members of the Core Group, which was constituted in 2006 to solve the connectivity issues of regional countries, including accession to the Asian Highway.
Bangladesh and Nepal signed a transit agreement on April 2, 1976 without incorporating any provision for using the territory and ports and routes for entry and exit for Nepalese vehicles that made the agreement almost non-functional, a trade diplomat said.
According to the latest draft of the agreement, two routes have been allowed for Nepal. One route for road and the other is for rail.
The route identified for road communication is Banglabandha -Syedpur-Kushtia-Khulna-Mongla and the rail route is Rohanpur (Rajshahi)-Rajshahi-Iswardi-Khulna-Mongla.
A maximum of 25 Nepalese transports would be allowed to ply through the Bangladesh territory at a time. The trucks and railway will carry pilfer -proof containers or wagons, according to the draft agreement.
'Arrangement must be there for sealing the tarpaulin-covered truck in a pilfer-proof manner. Normally the seal of the truck shall be examined at the entry point of the authorized route in Bangladesh.' reads the agreement.
'The transit cargo shall not be subjected to usual customs examinations and other checks as long as the seals have not been tampered with or unless there are valid reasons to do so.' said the draft.
The goods like firearms and ammunition, gold and silver bullion, antiques, narcotics and psychotropic substances would not be allowed for transit through Bangladesh, the draft agreement said further.
The registration number of Nepalese trucks has to be inscribed in a different colour of plate number to make the transit cargoes easily recognizable, added the agreement.
The Nepalese vehicles will not be allowed to remain in the country for more than 10 days.
However, Nepalese trucks carrying goods for Bangladesh will not be allowed to enter the Bangladesh territory through the proposed routes for transit, sources said.
The goods imported from Nepal and goods to be exported from Bangladesh to Nepal will continue to be unloaded at the Banglabandha.
The country would be enormously benefited out of the transit and transport agreement with Nepal, an official claimed saying that the earning of the Mongla port, the capacity of which has remained largely unutilized would increase, he said.
Nepal will receive the transit facility to carry its export and import cargoes to and from the Mongla port of Bangladesh under a new deal likely to be signed between the two countries soon, according to sources.
The Core Group on Connectivity Matters at a meeting held on Sunday cleared the longstanding issue with Nepal with its Chairman Ali Kabir, who is also the secretary for communication ministry, in the chair.
The facility will be awarded to Nepal under the deal, titled 'Agreement on operating modalities for the carriage of transit/trade cargo between Nepal and Bangladesh', sources added.
"The agreement is likely to be signed very soon as we have okayed the draft agreement,'' a high official in the communication ministry said.
''At least six to seven rounds of negotiations took place between Katmandu and Dhaka spanning over five years.''
The high officials of the ministries of communication, commerce, foreign affairs and revenue board are the members of the Core Group, which was constituted in 2006 to solve the connectivity issues of regional countries, including accession to the Asian Highway.
Bangladesh and Nepal signed a transit agreement on April 2, 1976 without incorporating any provision for using the territory and ports and routes for entry and exit for Nepalese vehicles that made the agreement almost non-functional, a trade diplomat said.
According to the latest draft of the agreement, two routes have been allowed for Nepal. One route for road and the other is for rail.
The route identified for road communication is Banglabandha -Syedpur-Kushtia-Khulna-Mongla and the rail route is Rohanpur (Rajshahi)-Rajshahi-Iswardi-Khulna-Mongla.
A maximum of 25 Nepalese transports would be allowed to ply through the Bangladesh territory at a time. The trucks and railway will carry pilfer -proof containers or wagons, according to the draft agreement.
'Arrangement must be there for sealing the tarpaulin-covered truck in a pilfer-proof manner. Normally the seal of the truck shall be examined at the entry point of the authorized route in Bangladesh.' reads the agreement.
'The transit cargo shall not be subjected to usual customs examinations and other checks as long as the seals have not been tampered with or unless there are valid reasons to do so.' said the draft.
The goods like firearms and ammunition, gold and silver bullion, antiques, narcotics and psychotropic substances would not be allowed for transit through Bangladesh, the draft agreement said further.
The registration number of Nepalese trucks has to be inscribed in a different colour of plate number to make the transit cargoes easily recognizable, added the agreement.
The Nepalese vehicles will not be allowed to remain in the country for more than 10 days.
However, Nepalese trucks carrying goods for Bangladesh will not be allowed to enter the Bangladesh territory through the proposed routes for transit, sources said.
The goods imported from Nepal and goods to be exported from Bangladesh to Nepal will continue to be unloaded at the Banglabandha.
The country would be enormously benefited out of the transit and transport agreement with Nepal, an official claimed saying that the earning of the Mongla port, the capacity of which has remained largely unutilized would increase, he said.