April 24-25 commerce secretary-level meeting with Bhutan will concentrate on operationalising the transit agreement and reviewing the effectiveness of the Bangladesh-Bhutan PTA.
Bangladesh has prioritised signing and implementing transit and Preferential Trade Agreements (PTA) with Bhutan and Nepal in upcoming talks.
Media reports claimed this citing concerned officials, adding, while Bangladesh has transit and Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) deals with Bhutan, efforts are underway to finalise operational modalities in April discussions.
Commerce officials emphasised discussions on eliminating tariff and non-tariff barriers and addressing various bilateral and regional issues in both meetings.
The seventh Bangladesh-Nepal commerce secretaries’ meeting scheduled for April 18-19 in Kathmandu aims to finalise the PTA product list and potentially sign the agreement.
Regarding Bhutan, an agreement on traffic-in-transit and protocol was inked in March 2023, ratified by Bangladesh’s Cabinet Division in June 2023, with Bhutan proposing implementation from March 2024.
However, unresolved transit fee issues posed a challenge. The Ministry of Commerce has urged expediting fee fixation to facilitate deal implementation, alongside advocating for trial runs and defining transit routes.
The April 24-25 commerce secretary-level meeting with Bhutan will concentrate on operationalising the transit agreement and reviewing the effectiveness of the Bangladesh-Bhutan PTA, operational since July 2022.
This marks the first bilateral commerce secretary-level meeting since the agreements’ signings.
Bangladesh’s recent offer granting Nepal and Bhutan access to its seaports and airports underscores regional cooperation efforts.
Nepal has already utilised Mongla port for imports, while transit facilities are extended to India as well, boasting rail, road, water connectivity, and air links.
All four nations engage in sub-regional cooperation on trade and trans-border vehicle movements.
