Transit routes through Bangladesh still a far cry
SILCHAR, Dec 31: Notwithstanding all the talks about the transit routes – rail and road – of North East through Bangladesh, its possibility seems still a far cry, given the present level of official dialogue between the two Countries. It was an important issue on the 64 point agreement signed between the Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh, and his counterpart, Begum Sheikh Hasina, during his two day visit to Dhaka in the early part of September, 2011. But, the treaty on transit routes has remained on paper only in 2012 also. The only positive development on this front has been the agreement on waterways which has become operational. In fact, the comprehensive transit agreement has been stuck up due to the inflexible stand on sharing of Teesta water by Mamata Banerjee, Chief minister of West Bengal.
Apart from the Teesta imbroglio, according to reports from the capital of Bangladesh, modalities on transit routes have also come on the way. These have been examined by the 15 member Core Committee on Transit routed headed by Bangladesh tariff commission Chairman, Dr. Mozibur Rahman, that was constituted in 2010.
Besides bureaucrats, experts from the private sector, research organizations and transport economists are also on the Core Committee. In its report, it has proposed fixed and variable transit charges on the basis of transit distance, quantity of goods and other related aspects practised internationally.
The Core Committee submitted its final report to Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, not long ago. Besides deciding the transit charges, it has proposed 5 specific road routes for transit traffic in north-east. The routes are Agartala-Akhaura-Kolkata, Agartala-Akhaura-Chittagong , Silchar-Sutarkandi-Chittagong Port, Silchar-Sutarkandi-Kolkata and Guwahati-Shillong-Sylhet-Chittagong. The report also analyzed concrete idea on volume of transit goods to be carried through Bangladesh from India.
The report said between 4 to 5 million tonnes of cargoes move to and from North-Eastern States of India through Kolkata Port every year. Once the infrastructure facilities are in place for movement of cargoes, these will be diverted to Chittagong Port. But, a note of caution has been given to the fact if annual cargo movement becomes less than the projected level, the transit operation may not be economically viable for Bangladesh. In such a situation, the investment factor has to be given due consideration, it has insisted.
Quite significantly, the Core Committee strongly favoured railway and waterways as the options for carrying the transit traffic instead of roads, considering its poor condition. The road network of Bangladesh suffers from structural weaknesses which is fit for 8.2 tonne trucks only. It recommended expressways on Dhaka-Chittagong Highway, besides upgradation of roads between Sutarkandi and Sylhet among others. As a part of immediate solution, Bangladesh road transporters could provide transshipment facilities from one border to another across Bangladesh.
Given the present scenario, there is no immediate possibility of road transit. This has also been admitted by Finance Minister of Bangladesh, AMA Muhith, who said existing infrastructures cannot take the load of transit. He added to say transit between India and Bangladesh has always been there since 1947 which stood suspended since the Indo-Pak war in 1965. On the other hand, the Hasina Government maintains that it will not sign any transit treaty since such agreement between the two Countries existed since 1947. It is just updating the expansion of the old transit deals and working out modalities. The transit also looks not feasible due to poor banking facilities at border points, a government official in Dhaka said.
However, Bangladesh has agreed to allow the use of Mongla and Chittagong Ports for movement of goods to and from India by road and rail to its 7 North-Eastern States. But the deal is yet to be signed. Nothing concrete has also emerged in respect of reopening of rail routes as both Delhi and Dhaka are yet to decide about the modalities.
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