Cabinet nods Dhaka-Delhi partnership to dredge 470-km river routes
The cabinet today endorsed a protocol signed with India to dredge out about 470 kilometer river ways on Ashugonj-Jakigonj and Sirajgong-Doikhawa route on partnership basis.
“The ‘Addendum to the Protocol on Inland Water Transport and Trade’ was approved” in the weekly cabinet meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair, Cabinet Secretary Md. Shafiul Alam told a media briefing emerging
from the meeting.
According to the recently signed protocol, India will bear 80 percent cost and Bangladesh the rests.
On the other hand the deal would allow Bangladeshi trucks, tractors and trailers to carry goods up to Agartala Inland Container Depot.
The new protocol included Pangaon of Bangladesh and Dhobi of India Assam State as a Port of Call and land port.
The cabinet secretary said the protocol would also facilitate getting emergency conservancy services in the no-mans area with the support of the border security forces of the both counties.
The protocol also made easy to bring back the bodies of deceased sailors died in others country to their homeland.
Alam said the cabinet also approved in principle a draft of the Bangladesh Tariff Commission (amendment) Act, 2018 with proposal for changing the name of the commission giving importance to trade like other countries.
Bangladesh Tariff Commission was constituted in 1973 under a resolution which was turned into an act in 1992 while the draft amendment suggested some changes, including the commission’s renaming as Bangladesh Trade and Tariff Commission Act, 2018 as proposed by the business community.
“The new law has detailed the activities of the Commission including the safety issues,” the cabinet secretary said.
At the beginning of the meeting Post and Telecommunications Minister handed over the ‘Transfer of Title’ of the Bangabandhu Satellite- 1 to the Prime Minister.
The satellite’s manufacturer Thales Alenia Space of France handed over the title to Bangladesh on November 9, 2018.
State Minister for Labour and Employment also handed over the Global Award 2018 received from Austria for Bangladesh’s success in child labour elimination and improvement of workers conditions.
Austria’s incumbent Social Democrat Party gave the award to Bangladesh in recognition to its success in child labour elimination and improvement of workers situations.
Vice President of Chamber of Vienna handed over the Award to the state minister at Bangladesh Secretariat on November 8, 2018.
