Bangladesh gets free transit offer from India to export products to 3rd countries

India has offered free transit to Bangladesh for exporting its products to third countries as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi have reiterated their strong commitment to strengthen bilateral relations further.

“Indian has offered free transit via its territory to Bangladesh for exporting its products to third countries through specified Land Customs Stations/Airports/Seaports,” according to a joint statement issued on Wednesday (September 7).

In this regard, the Indian side invited Bangladesh business community for using its port infrastructure for transshipment to third countries.

Mentioning that India has also been providing free transit to Bangladesh for exporting its products to Nepal and Bhutan, it said that Bangladesh also requested rail connectivity with Bhutan through the newly inaugurated Chilahati–Haldibari route, and India agreed to consider the request, based on its viability and feasibility.

To make this and other cross border rail links viable, the joint statement said India requested Bangladesh to remove port restrictions, inter alia at the Chilahati–Haldibari crossing.

The two leaders also agreed to expedite efforts to improve bilateral and sub-regional connectivity through early operationalisation of the BBIN Motor Vehicle Agreement.

India requested Bangladesh for cooperation for initiating new sub-regional connectivity projects including a highway from Hili in the West Bengal to Mahendraganj in Meghalaya through Bangladesh and in this regard, proposed preparation of a Detailed Project Report.

In the same spirit, Bangladesh reiterated its eagerness to partner in the ongoing initiative of the India – Myanmar - Thailand trilateral highway project.

Both Bangladesh and Indian premiers welcomed the recent finalization of a Joint Feasibility Study, which recommended that Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) will be beneficial for both countries.

They directed the trade officials on both sides to start negotiations within the calendar year 2022 and to complete these at the earliest, in time for Bangladesh’s final graduation from LDC status.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi have reiterated their strong commitment to eliminate terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.

They decided to further strengthen their cooperation to counter and prevent the spread of terrorism, violent extremism and radicalisation in the region and beyond.

Noting with satisfaction that the number of deaths due to incidents along the border has significantly reduced, both sides agreed to work towards bringing the number down to zero, according to the joint statement.

Both sides noted with appreciation the stepped up efforts by the two border guarding forces against smuggling of arms, narcotics and fake currency and to prevent trafficking, particularly of women and children.

Both prime ministers held a restricted meeting and te^te-a`-te^te followed by delegation level talks on Tuesday.

The two leaders expressed satisfaction at the excellent state of bilateral relations, based on deep historical and fraternal ties and shared values of democracy and pluralism, which is reflected in an all-encompassing bilateral partnership, based on sovereignty, equality, trust and understanding that transcends even a strategic partnership.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is paying a state visit to India from September 5-8 at the invitation of her Indian counterpart Modi.

During the visit, she called on President of India Droupadi Murmu and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Minister of Development of North Eastern Region G. Kishan Reddy called on her.

Sheikh Hasina’s programme also includes launching of "Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Student Scholarship” for 200 descendants of Indian Armed Forces personnel martyred and critically injured during the Liberation War of Bangladesh in 1971.

She also addressed a business event, jointly organized by Indian and Bangladesh business communities today.

The joint statement said that both Bangladesh and Indian Prime Ministers held discussions on the entire gamut of bilateral cooperation, including political and security cooperation, defence, border management, trade and connectivity, water resources, power and energy, development cooperation, cultural and people-to-people links. They also agreed to collaborate in new areas of cooperation, such as, environment, climate change, cyber security, ICT, space technology, green energy and blue economy, it added._BSS.