Now Dhaka asks Delhi for free trade transit to Nepal

Bangladesh has been quick with India’s diplomatic strategy on transnational gas pipelines. Taking cue from New Delhi’s demand for ...

Bangladesh has been quick with India’s diplomatic strategy on transnational gas pipelines. Taking cue from New Delhi’s demand for transit routes through Pakistan and Iran, Bangladesh has said that it will consider allowing a similar pipeline originating from Myanmar provided India allows Dhaka a free trade corridor to Nepal and accompanying trade benefits.

India has asked Pakistan to provide transit access to Afghanistan and MFN status if it wants New Delhi’s participation in the Iran-India gas pipeline through Pakistan. Also, Iran has been asked to provide transit rights to Central Asia through the Bandar Abbas corridor.

Dhaka’s fresh conditions on allowing the Myanmar-India pipeline through its territory has been communicated a month before Petroleum Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar visits Dhaka and Yangon to get Bangladesh consent to the pipeline. Aiyer is apparently planning to take a bus from Agartala to Dhaka to discuss the pipeline issue.

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Earlier, Aiyar had planned to visit Dhaka for the SAARC summit on January 8-10 and take along his Bangldeshi counterpart to Myanmar for ‘‘conversations without commitment’’.

However, at the request of Bangladesh State Minister for Energy, the bilateral talks between Bangaldesh and India is likely to be held around January 11-13 and the trilateral including Myanmar between January 17 and 18, sources said.

Dhaka has agreed in principle with the pipeline proposal but it wants the pipeline to be laid along its existing roads and highways, and the project jointly managed by India and Bangladesh.

It also wants India to agree to allow Bangladesh to use the pipeline to export its gas to India or import it from Myanmar.

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India would build the $1-billion 290-km gas trunkline while Bangladesh’s state-owned Gas Transmission Co would have responsibility for managing the stretch in its country.

Bangladesh expects to earn about $125 mn annually as transit fee for the pipeline that would run through Arakan (Rakhine) state in Myanmar, Indian states of Mizoram and Tripura, before crossing Bangladesh to Kolkatta.

ONGC Videsh Ltd and GAIL (India) want to build the link to carry gas from the Shwe field in Myanmar.

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		NEW DELHI: India and Pakistan on Monday started discussions on identifying ways to step up cooperation in curbing the illegal trade of narcotics and psychotropic substances. Both countries have maintained healthy ties in this area and now that a peace process underway, officials are looking at further intensifying the cooperation. The two-day meeting will focus on improving exchange of information and intelligence, besides mutual legal assistance. India and Pakistan are expected to exchange drafts of a memorandum for cooperation that will seek to eliminate barriers in facilitating better exchange among drug enforcement agencies on both sides of the border. The Pakistani delegation led by Maj Gen Nadeem Ahmed, the Anti-Narcotics Force Director, also met Home Minister Shivraj Patil on Monday. — ENS

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