BBIN road transit fee will be finalised by December, says Obaidul Quader

Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal (BBIN) will fix within next month the transit fee for passenger and goods vehicle movement across these countries, Road Transport Minister Obaidul Quader has said.

“The transport of passengers and goods among these four countries by road will formally commence in January but there will be initial restrictions,” he said on Thursday.

A meeting to be held on Dec 3 and 4 will fix the transit fee and sort out other issues, he said.

“We’ll decide on the charges and iron out differences that may crop up,” the minister added.

The four nations had signed a motor vehicle agreement in June to boost sub-regional connectivity.

The agreement relates to the movement of three components — personal vehicles, passenger vehicles, and goods carriers.

Quader said the BBIN members would develop their own infrastructures.

He was speaking to the media on the ‘BBIN Friendship Motor Rally 2015’ that set off on Nov 14 from Bhubaneswar, the capital of India’s Odisha state.

The rally cars will enter Bangladesh on Nov 28 through the Feni border and start for Kolkata on Dec 1.

He said other countries could join the BBIN provided there was consensus.

The BBIN agreement says route permits have to be secured from the four countries and bars the picking up of passengers or goods midway within any country.

The agreement will be reviewed every three years, and any country can pull out after a six-month notice.

Quader said the charges would be fixed on the basis of a consensus.

“We will make sure our interests are not harmed,” he said.