Bangladesh to allow India to use port facilities

Sep 10, 2009, 12:10 GMT

   Dhaka - Bangladesh has agreed to allow India access to one of its ports to facilitate movement of Indian consignments to its north-eastern regions through Bangladeshi territory, an India-Bangladesh joint-statement said Thursday.

   In return, India will provide Bangladesh cross-border 'connectivity' facilities to neighbouring Nepal and Bhutan through Indian land, said the statement issued by the Indian High Commission in Dhaka at the end of Bangladeshi Foreign Minister Dipu Moni's three-day official visit to New Delhi.

   During her talks with Indian External Affairs Minister SM Krishna, Dipu Moni also discussed prospect of India's use of Bangladesh's prime Chittagong seaport as well among many other outstanding issues.

   The two sides agreed to designate Bangladesh's central Ashuganj port as a new port of call under the bilateral Inland Water Transit and Trade Agreement between India and Bangladesh.

   New Delhi said that Dhaka agreed to provide access to Ashuganj Port to facilitate transportation of Over Dimensional Consignments for the Palatana Power Project in Indian north-eastern state of Tripura.

   India has long been asking Bangladesh to allow it transit facilities for transportation of goods to its remote north-eastern seven sister states using Bangladesh territory.

   Dhaka and New Delhi also agreed 'to conclude agreement for mutual legal assistance on criminal matters, transfer of sentenced persons and combat against international terrorism, organized crime and illegal drug trafficking,' according to the joint communiqué.

   Dipu Moni, during her three-day visit, had official talks with the Indian external affairs minister on September 8 and called on senior Indian leaders including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

   She discussed the entire range of bilateral issues, some of which were longstanding and considered irritants in the relations between the two neighbours.

   New Delhi also agreed to provide energy-starved Bangladesh with 100 megawatt of electricity on a priority basis as a mark of enhanced cooperation in the power sector.

   'Ahead of this, India will also undertake a feasibility study on power grid inter-connectivity for transmission lines, etc., from India to Bangladesh,' the statement added.