Dhaka, Delhi to renew transit, trade deal in March

October 8th, 2009 DHAKA - Bangladesh has urged India to give it transit to Nepal and Bhutan to boost bilateral and South Asian regional trade and connectivity. The subject will be high on the agenda when Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina visits New Delhi shortly.

September 12th, 2009 DHAKA - Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dipu Moni has termed the meeting with her Indian counterpart S.M. Krishna "groundbreaking" as New Delhi has agreed to Dhaka's request for connectivity with land-locked Nepal and Bhutan.

May 7th, 2009 DHAKA - India has proposed 'constructive talks' on the contentious issue of transit facility through Bangladesh to reach its north-eastern region once a new government takes office in New Delhi after the general elections. India is particularly keen on railway connectivity between Akhaura in eastern Bangladesh and Agartala, capital of Tripura in India's north-east, New Age newspaper said.

March 25th, 2009 DHAKA - Dhaka and New Delhi have renewed for two years their river trade and transit treaty. Now experts will explore the feasibility of India using more river ports in Bangladesh to reach isolated parts of northeastern India.

March 24th, 2009 DHAKA - New Delhi has asked Dhaka to allow transportation of heavy machinery and other equipment through the latter's Ashuganj river port to construct a power plant in India's northeastern state of Tripura. New Delhi may be shifting emphasis to river transit from its earlier plea for land transit that Dhaka finds contentious and politically sensitive, New Age newspaper said Tuesday.

March 23rd, 2009 DHAKA - Bangladesh and India began talks here Monday to renew the inland water transit and trade protocol that is aimed at boosting river-borne trade between the two countries. Foreign and shipping ministry officials said they hoped to renew the deal, scheduled to expire March 31, when talks end Tuesday.

February 25th, 2009 AGARTALA - A group of chief ministers from the northeastern states will visit Dhaka next month to press for transit facilities to the region via Bangladesh. The delegation will meet Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Foreign Minister Dipu Moni, Trade and Commerce minister Farooq Khan and President Zillur Rahman March 4 and 5 to discuss the transit and other trade and business related matters, a senior official said here Wednesday.

February 14th, 2009 DHAKA - Dhaka and New Delhi are set to renew the inland water transit and trade deal shortly and may add Ashuganj as the ninth port of call for easy transport of Indian goods from Kolkata to Agartala through Bangladesh. With the addition of Ashuganj, Indian goods could move faster from Kolkata to Tripura in India's northeast through the Akhaura-Agartala railway route, New Age newspaper said Sunday quoting unnamed diplomatic sources.

February 6th, 2009 DHAKA - As Bangladesh prepares to ink a deal Feb 9 to allow transit of Indian goods through its territory, its main opposition has warned that 'a blank cheque' to New Delhi would be 'suicidal' for Dhaka. Seizing the first major issue to fight the government after its poll debacle five weeks ago, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) led by two-term prime minister Khaleda Zia Friday said it preferred, for the greater interest of the country, multilateral regional transit facilities rather than giving 'corridor to India in the name of transit for passage of goods'.

February 3rd, 2009 DHAKA - Five days ahead of Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee's visit here, Bangladesh Wednesday said it was ready to provide transit facilities to India, a move that would help New Delhi trim its mounting trade deficit. Dhaka has had reservations about a transit pact, a long-pending demand of India, for economic and security reasons.

February 3rd, 2009 DHAKA - Five days ahead of Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee's visit here, Bangladesh has said it is ready to provide transit facility to its neighbour's northeastern region. 'I see no reason why we should not give transit (to India),' Commerce Minister, Col.

February 2nd, 2009 DHAKA - Bangladesh may renew trade pacts and discuss transit facility and terrorism during the visit of Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee to Dhaka Monday. Bangladesh is as yet 'undecided' about acceding to India's long-pending plea for transit facility to the latter's northeastern region, and a minister has termed commerce 'a weapon in politics'.

February 2nd, 2009 DHAKA - Bangladesh may renew trade pacts and discuss transit facility and terrorism during the visit of Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee to Dhaka Monday. Bangladesh is as yet 'undecided' about acceding to India's long-pending plea for transit facility to the latter's northeastern region, and a minister has termed commerce 'a weapon in politics'.

January 31st, 2009 DHAKA - As Bangladesh prepares to resume talks with India on a host of issues, opposition leader Khaleda Zia has warned the Sheikh Hasina government against signing any 'deal against national interests'. 'After assuming office, the government seems to be eager to sign deals on issues of national interest and national resources.

January 12th, 2009 DHAKA - Joint fight against terrorism and some of the long-pending bilateral issues will be discussed when Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee visits Dhaka in early February, an official said. Announcing Monday the tentative programme of the minister's visit, Indian High Commissioner Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty said the main concern of the Indian government was to ensure security in the region by eradicating terrorism, New Age newspaper reported.