Chittagong, Bangladesh: The Bangladesh government is to sign an Inland Water Transport Protocol (IWTP) agreement with Burma to increase connectivity aimed at boosting Dhaka-Rangoon trade, an official from the Ministry of Shipping said in Dhaka on May 10.
"We are now at the final stage of signing a river transport protocol agreement with Myanmar. This will be Bangladesh’s second river protocol agreement after India," M Alauddin, Joint Secretary of the ministry, said.
According to a World Bank (WB) report titled 'Revival of Inland Water Transport: Option and Strategies', “waterway is a low cost transport mode compared to other ones as Taka 4.50 is required for per kilometer transport cost by road while it costs only Taka 0.98 for waterway.”
Alauddin said a total of 25 non-conventional Bangladeshi ships would be able to transport the Burmese rivers under the planned agreement while the same number of Burmese ships would be plying.
“The government has already formed a joint shipping committee comprising of 11 members from Burma and 11 members from Bangladesh side.”
Representatives from the Ministry of Commerce, Home and Shipping, National Board of Revenue (NBR), Bangladesh Cargo Owners Association (BCOA), Bangladesh Coastal Ships Association (BCSA) and representation from private bodies, said Alauddin, also convener of the committee.
The committee will make a visit to Burma on May 17 to conduct a physical survey to identify suitable ports where Bangladeshi ships to be anchored, he said. “A Burma delegation would also visit Bangladesh later.”
“Bangladeshi ships would transport various goods mainly cement and medicines while ships from Burma would carry rice and wood. The anticipated protocol may be three-year term.”
“Dhaka-Rangoon proposed such river transport protocol in 2002 but later it was not signed.”
Bangladesh has the Inland Water Transport Protocol signed in 1972 with India. The protocol is being renewed every two years under the article-8 of Bangladesh-India trade treaty.
Foreign Minister Dr Dipu Moni at the recently concluded 13th BIMST- EC (Bangladesh India Myanmar Sri Lanka Thailand Economic Cooperation) ministerial meeting has underlined the importance of direct road, waterways and railway links between the two neighbouring countries.
The bilateral trade between Bangladesh and Burma has been taking place under the General Trade Agreement and Border Trade Agreement, signed in 1973 and 1994 respectively. Dhaka exported goods and commodities worth US$ 9.17 million to Rangoon in 2008-09, while its import during the period was US $66.65 million, according to Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) data.
