Junta leader Min Aung Hlaing said in a speech last month that the forces fighting the military were "destroying the path towards forming a Union based on democratic values and federalism"
BBIN rally leaves Agartala for Bangladesh port city Chittagong
Tripura Chief Secretary YP Singh on Saturday flagged off the third leg of the Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal (BBIN) Friendship Motor Car Rally from state capital Agartala.
Published : 28 Nov 2015, 10:35 AM
Updated : 28 Nov 2015, 10:35 AM
The rally, consisting of 77 participants -- three women and 74 men -- are travelling in 20 SUVs .
They reached Agartala last night from Assam’s Silchar city to a warm reception by the state government and various other organisations.
The first leg of the rally, jointly organised by the Kalinga Motor Sports Club of Odisha in partnership with clubs from the neighbouring countries and the union road transport and highways ministry, was flagged off from Bhubaneswar on Nov 15.
Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal (BBIN) had signed a regional motor vehicle agreement, paving the way for movement of both people and goods among the four SAARC member countries.
The agreement has three components -- movement of individual vehicles, passenger vehicles and cargo transport.
Among others, Bangladesh Deputy Secretary for Home Ministry, Nirod Chandra Mandal, Nepal's representative, Dasharath Bishal and Bhutan's representative, Teshiang Rinjen are travelling with the rally.
They said that once the BBIN agreement is implemented it will lead to economic integration of the region and help improve relations with India's neighbouring countries.
“Earlier, along with our visa we had to get a separate vehicle visa for entry into another country. But once this treaty is implemented if anyone wants to enter any of these nations, spot permission from the border entry point will be possible. So the process is becoming very easy and this will help in business,” said Arun Bhatia of the Kolkata rally team.
“The same way that we go to Puri from Kolkata, we shall be able to enter Bangladesh and for that we will just need to get registered at the gates during entering and exit," he said.
The month long process of valuation and other things will not be required, he added.
This is a small effort and if it is successful then we shall have similar agreements with other SAARC nations like India, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Thailand.
He stressed, however, that to make this agreement successful the pitiable road condition especially in Assam’s Silchar to Churaibari border with Tripura has to be improved.
Meantime, Nepal's representative, Dasharath Bishal said: “Once the BBIN agreement is implemented it will further strengthen the relations between the SAARC nations, similar to Europe, where people with a single visa can visit all the nations. “
The rally will enter Bangladesh on Saturday through South Tripura's Belonia town and head for Chittagong, later moving towards Dhaka.
It will culminate in Kolkata on Dec 2, after covering the state capitals of Jharkhand, Bihar, Sikkim, Bhutan, Assam, Meghalaya and Tripura, besides passing Chittagong and Dhaka in Bangladesh.
Earlier this month, a cargo vehicle and a passenger vehicle on trial under the same agreement entered Tripura from Kolkata via Dhaka.
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