Trans-border motor vehicle movement among Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal (BBIN) has been pushed back by several months as Bhutan’s Parliament is yet to ratify the four-nation agreement.
The deal, signed on June 15 last year to facilitate movement of cargo and passenger vehicles, was expected to come into effect from January 2016. “It is unlikely to come into effect before June,” an official of the Road Transport and Highways Division (RTHD) said.
Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader had earlier said the BBIN countries finalised routes and that the deadline would not be missed. Asked about the delay, the minister declined comment yesterday and suggested speaking with RTHD Secretary MAN Siddique.
Siddique explained: “Bangladesh and India have completed the formalities but Nepal took three extra months to complete theirs. Bhutan’s Parliament, on the other hand, is yet to ratify the agreement.”
Bhutan informed the RTHD that its summer session is scheduled for April-May. Replying to a query, the secretary said: “Once Bhutan’s Parliament nods the deal, we will need one more month to complete all procedures including signing the bilateral agreement.”
According to initial plans, the stakeholders were scheduled to finalise and sign draft protocols separately by October last year. But Bhutan and Nepal are yet to finalise theirs, a RTHD source said.
“Nepal has already solved its problem and ready to sign the deal with other countries. If Bhutan’s parliament ratifies it in their next session, then the date and place for signing the bilateral deal will be fixed. But it is clear that it will not be before June,” the source said.
Siddique said: “We are not saying that trans-border vehicular movement will start in June because everything now depends on Bhutan.”
