Dhaka seeks access to Nepal and Bhutan through India

September 13th, 2009 DHAKA - A cross-section of opinion makers in Bangladesh have welcomed a Dhaka-Delhi resolve to improve connectivity among the South Asian neighbours, but have expressed reservations on many counts. They see the development as a window of opportunity to improve economic ties with landlocked Bhutan and Nepal, but also lament the loss of a prospective market in India's north-eastern region.

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.

August 21st, 2009 Akhaurah (India-Bangladesh Border), - Bangladesh has in principle agreed to provide transit facilities to India but in return has demanded a corridor through West Bengal to carry out bilateral trade with Nepal and Bhutan. Bangladesh Commerce Minister Colonel (retired) Faruk Khan said: "India already enjoys maritime transit with Bangladesh, and we can hold bilateral talks to resolve the long pending road and rail transit issue." "Providing transit facilities to India is not a big problem, it can be resolved through mutual talks.

June 18th, 2009 PARO - Foreign Minister S M Krishna arrived in Paro in Bhutan on Thursday, for a two-day visit to the Himalayan kingdom. This is the first foreign visit by Krishna after he assumed charge of the Foreign Ministry.

June 7th, 2009 DHAKA - Bangladesh is upset that Pakistan is opposing its duty-free access to the US garments market that also has India as a major player, according to media reports here. Dhaka is miffed that Islamabad is siding with some African countries to oppose any moves by 15 least developed countries (LDCs) including Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and Nepal to enter the US market that already has India, China and Vietnam as major competitors, New Age newspaper said Sunday.

May 27th, 2009 DHAKA - Bangladesh is mooting a trans-border gas corridor connecting Iran and Myanmar through several countries including India. The move comes close on the heels of its decision to join the Asian rail and road highways, after staying away for years from joining the network.

May 22nd, 2009 DHAKA - Sri Lanka, where a quarter century of ethnic conflict has just ended, is keen to host the secretariat of sub-regional bloc Bimstec. Bangladesh has been wanting to host the secretariat as well.

May 20th, 2009 DHAKA - Bangladesh hopes to house the permanent secretariat of the sub-regional bloc, Bimstec, which was formed for rapid economic development and to accelerate social progress, officials have said. Senior officials of the seven-nation Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (Bimstec) began their second scheduled meeting here Wednesday to discuss the issue of the permanent secretariat.

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.

April 1st, 2009 MUMBAI - Larsen & Toubro (L&T), the country's leading engineering and construction conglomerate, Wednesday said it has bagged a Rs.1,245 crore (Rs.12.45 billion) contract for the construction of dams as part of the 1,200 MW Punatsangchhu-I hydroelectric Project in Bhutan. The project is being set up by the Punatsangchhu-I Hydroelectric Project Authority which has been constituted through an agreement between the governments of India and Bhutan, a company statement said.

March 24th, 2009 DHAKA - There is likely to be a toss-up between Nepal and Bhutan if the Maldives finally declines to host the 16th summit of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). Bhutan, which has never hosted a SAARC summit, has made a formal offer.

March 22nd, 2009 DHAKA - A regional approach to river water sharing, rather than a bilateral one, would help solve the sticky issue with neighbour India as well as Nepal and Bhutan, Bangladeshi experts have said. Speaking on the eve of World Water Day 2009, they said the water issue should be clubbed with multilateral trade while engaging with the South Asian neighbours.

February 10th, 2009 DHAKA - Large sections of Dhaka's media have reacted positively to the just-concluded visit of Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee's visit, saying it yielded 'win-win' deals for the South Asian neighbours. On Wednesday, they highlighted the 'mutuality of interests' - if Dhaka was providing Delhi transit to the northeast, the latter too would get access to Nepal and Bhutan as well as new areas for trade and economic cooperation.

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 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.