Dhaka has decided to sign the much-talked about Protocol for Movement of Regular, Non-regular and Personal Vehicles for Implementation of the BBIN (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal) Motor Vehicle Agreement (MVA) without Bhutan, deviating from its earlier stance of not going ahead without Bhutan. The current Bangladesh stance follows the decision of a meeting of the sub-regional cooperation (joint communiqué and framework agreement) held at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) on November 23 this year.

According to the minutes of the meeting, signed by the Prime Minister’s adviser Dr Mashiur Rahman on December 7, “Bangladesh, India and Nepal may make the MVA operational.”

The representative of the Road Transport and Highways Division of the communications ministry was informed during the meeting that Bhutan did not ratify the passenger protocol, but “Bhutan has no objection” regarding the ‘Protocol for Movement of Cargo Vehicles’.

On a query from meeting chair Mashiur Rahman, a representative of the ministry of foreign affairs, clarified, “The agreement (MVA) need not to be amended for leaving out Bhutan; modification may be done by an exchange of letters among the four signatories.”

After discussions on the issue at the meeting, the Road Transport and Highways Division and the ministry of foreign affairs were asked to take initiatives to run passenger/cargo vehicles among Bangladesh, India and Nepal and amend or modify the agreement accordingly.

It was also decided in the meeting that the foreign ministry

and the Road Transport and Highways Division will pursue the holding of a meeting to run passenger/cargo vehicles among the three countries.

It was also informed that the route survey between Bangladesh, India and Nepal was scheduled to be held on December 5, 2016, from Kathmandu via Fulbari-Rangpur-Dhaka. But, Nepal postponed the survey.

A meeting under Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal (BBIN) is on the cards through exchange of letters between Bangladesh, India and Nepal on one side and Bhutan on the other, sources in the division said.

Earlier, Bangladesh had decided not to sign the protocol without Bhutan.

Joint Secretary (Economic and International Connectivity) of the Road Transport and Highways Division Chandan Kumar Dey told The Independent yesterday that the Bhutan government has informed through a recent letter to the foreign ministry that they have no objection if the three countries –Bangladesh, India and Nepal - sign the agreement.

“Bhutan also informed us that they will sign the protocol in the near future after forming a new government through holding its general elections. It is delaying the signing of the agreement as the opposition leaders of the upper house have disagreed to sign it.”

“It’s a political issue and as the Bhutanese opposition has already opposed it the incumbent government is not taking any risk on the issue ahead of the country’s national election next year,” he said referring to the Bhutanese side.

The high official informed that the governments of Bangladesh and India have already given their consents to the draft of ‘exchange of letter’ while Nepal is yet to inform their decision.

“Once the Nepal government gives their consent, the proposed MVA will be signed and start operating passenger/cargo vehicles among Bangladesh, India and Nepal,” he added.    

Sources said if the MVA is implemented, it would increase the sub-regional connectivity and the scope as well as opportunities for greater people-to-people contact and trade under the BBIN initiative.

Earlier, a BBIN Motor Vehicle Agreement (MVA) for regulation of passenger, personal and cargo vehicular traffic between the four countries was signed at the BBIN transport ministers’ meeting on June 15, 2015 in Thimphu.

The BBIN Motor Vehicles Agreement is supposed to allow vehicles to enter each other’s territory and does away with transshipment of goods from one country’s truck to another at the border. This would unlock greater economic potentials of the region.