‘Connectivity deals will benefit both’

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bangladeshi counterpart SheikhHasina at the flag off ceremony of bus services between Bangladesh andIndia in Dhaka on Saturday.

The multi-level connectivity using water and land ways, which are partly in the form of agreements and partly in the form of memorandum of understandings (MoUs), will boost Bangladesh’s economy on the one hand and India’s access to the northeastern States on the other.

While discussion related to re-energising Chittagong and Mongla port in the south of Bangladesh was going on for a while, for the first time both sides have agreed to move forward signing key deals related to enhancement of connectivity.

According to Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar, one of the key deals is coastal shipping between the two countries. The agreement will “contribute” to the growth of Bangladesh’s shipping industry, the Foreign Secretary said. “[Now] goods are taken to distant ports, reloaded in feeder vessels and then brought to Chittagong port. [The agreement] will enable direct, regular movement of ships between India and Bangladesh, which would bring the shipping time down from an average of 30-40 days to seven to 10 days [thus boosting the Bangladesh industry],” he said. The renewal of protocol on inland waterways and transport will also “boost the Bangladeshi shipping industry” said Mr. Jaishankar.

Additionally, the MoU to revitalise the ports in the south of Bangladesh is explained as a win-win deal. “Regarding access to Chittagong and Mongla port for movement of goods to and from India with the proposed bridge over the Fenny river on the India-Bangladesh border, there will be road connectivity (from the ports) to Agartala, which will also allow movement of goods from Indian ports to Chittagong and Mongla and can then move on to Tripura and Agartala (this) improving India’s access to north eastern region, while Bangladesh will have access to Nepal and Bhutan,” Mr. Jaishankar said.

On LBA

While the celebration started soon after the modalities for implementation of the Land Boundary Agreement (LBA) were exchanged between the Prime Ministers, the process to implement the ratified agreement may take some time.

The “overseeing body” will be meeting to soon figure out a process to implement the agreement in the enclaves on both sides of the border, the Foreign Secretary told the media soon after the documents were exchanged.