REPORTS in a national English daily on Saturday said Dhaka has proposed inclusion of new transit provisions in the renewal of the current Indo-Bangla bilateral trade agreement demanding overland passage to Bhutan and Newpal across Indian territory. The existing trade agreement is set to expire on Thursday next and preparations are afoot to finalize a fresh deal. We know that the Commerce Ministry has already sent the proposal to the Indian government in Delhi through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. But despite the fact that the existing pact is expiring in few days and preparations to sign a new deal is in progress, lack of any response so far from the Indian side is highly discouraging.
We know that India is enjoying similar transit facility across Bangladesh for the last 43 years. In fact Bangladesh was supposed to get similar reciprocal transit facility to Bhutan and Nepal through India much before and it is right time for Dhaka to open the land corridor to the two neighbours. Observers here believe that the security sensities to India is no longer any valid reason in view of the border security arrangement and other information sharing on internal security. Moreover, most people in Bangladesh hold the view that the ruling party Awami League government is having very good working relations with India over the past six years and both sides have the proven trust and technical expertise to open the land routes and run them effectively. We hope the government will take every possible diplomatic step with India to gain the trade access to these countries.
Reports said Dhaka has sought transit facility under the existing trade agreement so that goods could be carried from Bangladesh to Nepal and Bhutan using Indian corridor. Existing trade agreement said ‘The two governments agree to make mutually beneficial arrangements for the use of their waterways, railways and roadways for commerce between the two countries and for passage of goods between two places in one country through the territory of the other.’
Nepal and Bhutan have also given Bangladesh the most favoured nation status in trade related matters but India’s reluctance to open the gateway is keeping the door shut. We must say India is using rail-road-waterway facilities through Bangladesh to ferry its goods to the seven sisters in the northeast and carrying goods even without paying tax. We must say Bangladesh has the legitimate right to demand land passage to Bhutan and Nepal and the Indian government would recognize the importance accordingly.
