Cabinet ratifies 4-nation motor vehicle deal

The cabinet today approved a proposal for ratification of "The Motor Vehicles Agreement for the Regulation of Passenger, Personal and Cargo Vehicular Traffic between Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal".

The approval was given at the regular weekly cabinet meeting held at Bangladesh Secretariat with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.

Cabinet Secretary M Musharraf Hussain Bhuiyan briefed reporters after the meeting.

He said the ratification was needed as part of completing the formalities of effectiveness of the deal by the respective governments in their own process.

The cabinet secretary said the agreement would come into effect after its ratification by other governments of the countries concerned.

Earlier on June 8, the cabinet approved the draft of the deal aimed at improving the connectivity between four counties of the region -- Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal.

Later, the agreement was signed on June 15 this year at a meeting of the road transport ministers of the four countries held in Bhutanese capital of Thimpu.

The cabinet secretary said a trilateral agreement and proposal will have to be signed to make the deal effective and officials concerned of the four countries will sit in Dhaka on September 8-9 to finalise the trilateral deal and proposal.

He said a car rally involving the four countries will be held in October this year. The rally will start from Bhubaneswar of India and end in Kolkata via Chittagong and Dhaka, he said.