The Cabinet on Monday approved the drafts of three agreements and two protocols to be signed with India during the upcoming visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Bangladesh on June 6-7 aimed at boosting trade, commerce and connectivity with the neighbouring country.
The approvals were given at the regular weekly meeting of the Cabinet held at Bangladesh Secretariat with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, Cabinet Secretary M Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan said the draft ‘Agreement between Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) and Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) on Cooperation in the field of standardization and conformity assessment’ aims to boost trade and commerce between the two countries.
He said once the agreement comes into effect, both the standards institution of the two countries namely BSTI and BIS would acknowledge the standards-related certificates of each other while both the bodies would accept each other’s certificates which would be very important for conducting trade and commerce.
The Cabinet Secretary said the negotiation between the two countries on the draft agreement began in 2009 while the two countries agreed to ink the agreement last month.
He said both the BSTI and BIS would take steps within the stipulated time to test the standards of goods and items on mutual agreement which would speed up the decision making process.
Besides, both the organisations would bring similarity into the standards testing process of each other in a bid to bring procedural consistency or uniformity through consultations while both the institutions would accept each other’s report.
The day’s Cabinet meeting also gave nod to the draft ‘Agreement between Bangladesh and India for the Regulation of Motor Vehicle Passenger Traffic between the two countries’ and ‘Protocol on operation of Passenger Bus Service between Kolkata and Agartala in India via Dhaka in Bangladesh in terms of agreement between Bangladesh and India’.
He said the draft agreement has been structured in line with the similar earlier agreements on operating bus service on Dhaka-Kolkata-Dhaka and Dhaka-Agartala-Dhaka routes in an effort to strengthen connectivity.
Besides, the Cabinet gave nod to the draft ‘Agreement between Bangladesh and India for the Regulation of Motor Vehicle Passenger Traffic between the two countries and ‘Protocol on Operation of Passenger Bus Service between Dhaka in Bangladesh and Guwahati in India via Sylhet and Shillong in terms of agreement between Bangladesh and India’ also aimed at enhancing connectivity.
Answering to a question, the Cabinet Secretary said once the agreements come into effect, both the countries would get equal facilities since those are being drafted on mutual consensus.
Under the agreements, he said, a passenger vehicle should have to have a route permit, valid registration certificate, valid insurance policy, valid certificate of fitness while the crew of the buses shall be both Bangladesh and Indian nationals.
Besides, Musharraf Hossain said, the bus crew and passengers shall travel on the basis of valid passports and multiple entry visas.
Ministers and State Ministers attended the meeting. Secretaries concerned were also present.
Source: UNB
