NEW DELHI, Nov 17 - Bangladesh will charge BD Taka 192.22 per metric tonne at Ashuganj for ferrying goods to and fro the Northeastern States.
India has hailed the steps taken by the Bangladesh government for the smooth transhipment on this route and agreeing to implement the draft proposal with an option for a review of these rates, if considered necessary in future.
This was part of the draft memorandum of understanding (MoU) on passenger and cruise vessel movement signed here during the Secretary-level talks of ministries of shipping of India and Bangladesh.
Official sources said that as a gesture of goodwill and considering the existing friendly relations between the two countries, the Bangladesh government has decided to do away with the practice of insistence upon bank guarantee on each consignment of transit cargo.
To ensure adequate draft in upper reaches of Indo-Bangladesh Protocol route in Bangladesh, it was agreed that Bangladesh would submit a proposal for dredging of rivers in that country, including the ones under Protocol route, to World Bank for Regional IDA, sources said.
It was also suggested by the Indian side that as the submission of proposal to the World Bank under IDA and its eventual execution may take some time, the existing Joint Technical Committee, as an interim measure, may identify and prioritise the route requiring dredging to achieve 2.5 metre LAD throughout the year and propose a suitable funding option within three-month time.
The Indian delegation was led by Secretary, Ministry of Shipping, Rajive Kumar, while the Bangladesh delegation was led by Secretary, Ministry of Shipping, Shafique Alam Mehdi.
