Dhaka, Sep 18 (UNI) The Bangladesh Cabinet has approved a draft agreement, allowing India to use its Chittagong and Mongla ports to transport cargo to its northeastern states.
The decision came during a Cabinet meeting at Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Office on Monday.
Briefing reporters after the meeting at the Secretariat, Bangladesh Cabinet Secretary Shafiul Alam said the draft has been prepared for signing the deal with India, but Nepal and Bhutan can be added to it, if they wish to use the two ports.
India would have to follow the General Agreement on Tariff and Trade (GATT) and Bangladeshi regulations, pay the customs duties, and buy tax equivalent bonds to transport freight, he added.
The two countries had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the use of the two ports during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Dhaka in June, 2015.
Under the proposed deal titled Agreement on the Use of Chattogram and Mongla ports for Movement of Goods to and from India, a new modern tracking system would be used to track cargos, Mr Shafiul told journalists.
He said India would also have to pay fees for using the infrastructure of Bangladeshi land ports.
According to the Cabinet Secretary, goods will be transported as per the capacity of the two sea ports. Only Bangladeshi vehicles will be used for transportation of goods within its territory.
The deal will be signed for five years, but it can be extended for another five years automatically. However, any side can cancel the agreement after giving six month's notice and suspend the deal, if a necessity arises.
Should any problem arise in implementing the agreement, several committees of both the countries would resolve it, he CS added.
Mr Shafiul said the agreement was aimed at strengthening the relations between Bangladesh and India.
As per the deal, Indian goods can be transported through four entry points -- Akhaura in Bangladesh and Agartala in India; Tamabil in Sylhet and Dauki in India's Meghalaya; Sheola in Sylhet and Sutarkandi in Assam; and Bibirbazar in Cumilla and Srimantapur in Tripura.
Talking to The Daily Star, a top shipping ministry official said the two countries would fix a date for signing the agreement through talks.
He said a Standard Operational Procedure (SOP) would have to be prepared for implementing the deal. The SOP would be prepared after consulting with various stakeholders.
Chances were slim that the agreement would be implemented this year, he added.
UNI XC RJ 1700