DHAKA, Jan 31 � Bangladesh intends to take by March a final call on providing transit facilities to three neighbouring countries, including India, Finance Minister A M A Muhith has said, reports PTI.
�Discussions have started with the countries concerned on the transit on the basis of the report of a (Bangladesh) government�s committee,� he said at a press briefing on the sidelines of a meeting of the finance ministers of SAARC countries late yesterday.
He said the report of the committee, which was constituted in 2010, suggested a draft framework agreement covering overall issues including transit routes and fees.
The core committee led by Tariff Commission Chairman Mujibur Rahman prepared its report last month.
Muhith said the government is to take final decision before March regarding the core committee report.
He said the countries to enjoy transit should accept the rules formulated by Bangladesh referring to the examples of Switzerland where the countries that took transit through Switzerland accepted the Swiss rules.
Commerce ministry officials said Bangladesh need to take a decision on transit by March as the period of the trade and transit protocol with India would expire in next one month unless the tenure of the protocol was extended.
Bangladesh was expected to sign a transit agreement with India during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh�s Dhaka visit in September.
But, Dhaka visibly refused to sign the proposed transit agreement after India backed out from signing the much-expected accord on sharing the common Teesta river water at that time.
