power from Bhutan
Dream likely to become a reality
PM leaves for Thimphu tomorrow
HUMAYUN KABIR BHUIYAN
The decades-old aspiration to get power from Bhutan appears to be closer than ever before as India, which lies between the two countries and has a significant influence in the Bhutanese policy making, has agreed to cooperate with Bangladesh in this sector.
With this prospect, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina leaves the capital tomorrow for Thimphu, the capital of Bhutan, on a three-day visit.
The Prime Minister has to travel on an all-economy Druk Air flight, as the Head of the Government cannot take a special flight of the national carrier Biman due to the particular nature of the Paro Airport, 65 kilometres away from Thimphu, said officials concerned. Only a handful of pilots belonging to Druk Air and Bhutan Airlines are certified to land and take off from the Paro Airport.
The Prime Ministers visit has two elements official talks with her Bhutanese counterpart Tshering Tobgay and participation in an international conference on autism of which Bangladeshs Health Ministry is a co-sponsor.
According to government officials concerned, all the bilateral aspects of the relationship with special emphasis on power will be discussed between Prime Ministers Hasina and Tobgay.
Bangladeshs earnest interest in getting power from the Himalayan kingdom is known to all. But, earlier initiatives in this regard could not be successful as India was reluctant to allow its territory to bring power from Bhutan and everyone knows that Indians have significant influence in Bhutans policy making, said a senior official.
Now that India has agreed to cooperate with Bangladesh,
getting electricity from Bhutan, a country of huge hydropower potential, seems to be much closer, he said.
Referring to the 28th point of the 62-point Bangladesh-India joint statement issued upon the just-concluded visit of Prime Minister Hasina to India, another official said that Indian attitude in connection with Dhakas intention to invest in hydropower projects in Bhutan appears to be positive.
The two Prime Ministers emphasised the advantages of sub-regional cooperation in the areas of power, water resources, trade, transit and connectivity for mutual benefit. They welcomed the fact that a Trilateral Memorandum of Understanding between Bangladesh, Bhutan and India for Cooperation in the field of Hydroelectric Power had been worked out and noted that it would be signed at an occasion when leaders of all three countries would be present together, stated the 28th point of the joint statement.
Of course, the official said that whatever the Indians do, they, as always will do after ensuring their long-term interest protected as India has been receiving significant power from Bhutan since very long.
According to another senior official, a high-level Bangladesh delegation went to Bhutan without consulting the Foreign Ministry in 2000 to negotiate to get 300 megawatt of electricity from Bhutan. But, they had to return home empty-handed as Indians were not onboard, he said.
The scenario in 2017 seems to be much better although I dont think India will give away anything without ensuring uninterrupted power supply from Bhutan for at least 25 years, he said. Apart from the bilateral meeting between the two Prime Ministers, the visit will witness signing of at least five bilateral instruments including one memorandum of understanding (MoU) to allow transit and transshipment of Bhutanese cargoes through river routes, said the officials. Two agreements on avoidance of double taxation and cultural cooperation and two MoUs on mutual certification of food standard and certification by standard testing institutions of the two countries will also be signed, they said.
