India has offered Bangladesh free transit facilities through specified land customs stations, airports, and seaports for its exports to third countries.
The Indian side informed Bangladesh of the offer during delegation-level bilateral talks between Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on Tuesday.
India has already been providing free transit to Bangladesh for exporting its products to Nepal and Bhutan, according to a joint statement from the prime ministers issued on Wednesday.
The Bangladesh side requested rail connectivity with Bhutan through the newly inaugurated Chilahati – Haldibari route.
The Indian side agreed to consider the request, based on its viability and feasibility.
To make this and other cross-border rail links viable, the Indian side requested the Bangladesh side to remove port restrictions, inter alia, at the Chilahati – Haldibari crossing.
The two leaders agreed to expedite efforts to improve bilateral and sub-regional connectivity through the early operationalization of the Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal (BBIN) motor vehicle agreement.
The Indian side also sought cooperation from Bangladesh in initiating new sub-regional connectivity projects, including a highway from Hili in West Bengal to Mahendraganj in Meghalaya through Bangladesh.
In the same spirit, Bangladesh reiterated its eagerness to partner in the ongoing India-Myanmar-Thailand trilateral highway project.
The prime ministers of the Bangladesh and India underscored the importance of implementing bilateral and sub-regional rail, road, and other connectivity initiatives.
Both sides welcomed ongoing bilateral initiatives, such as conversion of the Tongi-Akhaura line to dual-gauge, supply of railway rolling stock, capacity building for the personnel of Bangladesh Railway, sharing of IT solutions for improved services of Bangladesh Railway, etc.
The two sides also welcomed the Kaunia-Lalmonirhat-Mogalghat-New Gitaldaha link, establishing a link between Hili and Birampur, upgradation of track and signalling systems and railway stations along the Benapole-Jessore line, link restoration between Burimari and Changrabandha, and construction of a container depot at Sirajganj.
Moreover, they agreed to explore funding of these projects through a range of financial instruments under bilateral development cooperation.
The Bangladesh side welcomed the gesture by India on providing 20 broad-gauge diesel locomotives on a grant.
The two leaders welcomed the successful completion of trial runs under the agreement on the use of the Chittagong and Mongla Ports (ACMP) and looked forward to its full operationalization at the earliest.
The Indian side reiterated its request to work towards the expansion of the bilateral Coastal Shipping Agreement of 2015 to include third-country Exim cargo.
The two sides agreed to expeditiously explore direct shipping links between the two countries.
They also agreed to implement the decision to start riverine services under the Protocol on Inland Water Transit and Trade (PIWTT) routes 5 and 6 (Dhulian to Rajshahi -extension to Aricha) and 9 and 10 (Daudkandi to Sonamura).
The Indian side requested Bangladesh to complete the remaining infrastructure, immigration, and customs facilities for the operationalization of the Maitri Bridge over the River Feni, connecting Tripura with Bangladesh, at an early date.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been on a four-day official visit to India, which ends today, at the invitation of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
During the visit, she called on the new President of India Droupadi Murmu and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Minister of Development of North Eastern Region G Kishan Reddy called on the Bangladesh leader.