Cabinet okays draft of 3 deals with India

The cabinet today approved drafts of three agreements with India which will be signed during the maiden visit of Narendra Modi.

The deals endorsed in the meeting chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina are believed to boost trade between the two countries in coming days.

The agreement includes an understanding with BSTI and Bureau of Indian Standard on cooperation in the field of standardisation and conformity, Cabinet Secretary M Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan told media after the meeting.

By this, goods made in Bangladesh or India can be certified by either BSTI or BIS and will not require further verification.

"This will boost trade between the two countries," the cabinet secretary said.

Two other agreements are the protocols of passenger bus services between Kolkata and Agartala in India via Bangladesh and from Dhaka in Bangladesh to Guwahati in India via Shillong.

Road, transport and highway department placed the proposals before the meeting. 

The instruments are expected to be signed during the maiden visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi who will land Dhaka on a two-day trip starting from June 6.