Bus service, power, shipping deals likely

Bangladesh and India are expected to sign deals on passenger bus service between Dhaka and Guwahati and Dhaka-Kolkata-Agartala and agreements in power and shipping sectors during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's proposed visit to Bangladesh next month.

Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader, who held nearly two and half hours of talks with his Indian counterpart Nitin Gadkari at the Parivahan Bhavan in New Delhi, said Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal (BBIN) are also likely to sign soon the Motor Vehicles Agreement for movement of goods.

Such an agreement will allow trucks of each country to move into each other's territories seamlessly, avoiding the need for transhipment which causes delay.

It may be mentioned that a similar deal among other Saarc countries remains stuck due to reluctance of Pakistan and could not be signed in the previous Saarc Summit in Kathmandu in November last year.

Minister Obaidul Quader said while modalities for Dhaka-Guwahati bus service via Shillong were finalised during the talks yesterday, the deal on this would be signed during Modi's proposed visit to Dhaka and the Indian PM was likely to flag it off.

He told representatives of Bangladeshi media in Delhi that the “first trial run” of Dhaka-Guwhati bus service would be undertaken on May 22.

When pointed out that the trial run was held in December last year, Quader described that as “route survey” and the trial run would begin on Friday when he and the Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pankaj Saran would be present.

He said modalities for introducing Dhaka-Agartala-Kolkata bus were discussed yesterday but the modalities were yet to be finalised.

Minister Quader, however, expressed the hope that the deal on Dhaka-Agartala-Kolkata bus service would also be signed during Modi's visit as this was a demand of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

The minister nodded in agreement when a journalist said Dhaka-Agartala-Kolkata bus link virtually amounts to Bangladesh granting transit to India.

Asked when Modi is expected to visit Bangladesh, Quader said, "Anytime in June. I can say only this because dates are not yet finalised.”

Obaidul Quader said yesterday's meeting also discussed new bus routes between Shillong and Chittagong, Kolkata and Chittagong, Kolkata and Khulna and Kolkata and Jessore. But discussions on these routes were still at a very early stage, he added.

He said Bangladesh has proposed to India purchase of 500 trucks and 400 double-decker and vestibule buses from India under a fresh line of credit.

Bangladesh has already bought 958 buses from India under the one billion dollar line of credit extended by India in January 2010 during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's visit to New Delhi.

Quader said the BBIN deal on motor vehicles movement was expected to be signed during a meeting of transport ministers of the four countries in Thimpu in June-end, but efforts were on to advance it to later this month.

He said India would also “soon” start construction of a bridge over river Feni connecting Sabroom in Tripura and Ramgarh in Bangladesh and an Indian technical team is currently conducting the feasibility study.

Quader said Bangladesh has begun upgrading the Ashuganj-Akhaura road from two lanes to four lanes in order to facilitate movement of goods between Bangladesh and Agartala.

This is a route where the commercial traffic is heavy, he added.

He said Bangladesh wants all “walls of mistrust and suspicion” with India to be demolished and a “new era of constructive partnership.”

“We want a new era of constructive partnership. Let us break walls of mistrust and suspicion and build bridges,” said Quader.

The minister said Bangladesh has also decided to procure equipment and machineries for road construction.

He said the Sheikh Hasina government is engaged in upgrading an 1800km network of roads across the country from two lanes to four lanes as part of Asian Highway.

Five flyovers would be built on Tangail- Joydebpur road, a BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) would be constructed between Dhaka airport and Gazipur, 27km elevated expressway from Uttara to Shanir Akhra and a tunnel would be built under the Karnaphuli river in Chittagong, according to the minister.

He said the work of river training and piling of Padma Bridge would begin in October.