Dhaka, Oct 4: The government has allowed the transshipment of Indian goods from Bangladesh's northeastern Ashuganj to Akhaura on trial basis in line with an earlier bilateral agreement, Foreign Minister Dipu Moni today said.
"Three cargo ships - two Bangladeshi and one Indian - are now anchored at Ashuganj river port and the fourth ship is sailing towards Ashuganj from Kolkata port," she told mediapersons at here.
Moni said road, railway and water transit between Bangladesh and India were already there in the existing agreements signed in 1972 and 1980, and renewed over the years.
In November last year, India and Bangladesh signed a crucial deal to allow Indian heavy equipment be transshipped to its landlocked northeastern Tripura state for a proposed power plant through Bangladeshi territory.
Roads & Highways chief engineer Azizur Rahman and India's Oil and Natural gas Corporation's senior adviser R K Madan signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which would allow India to transport heavy equipment for its proposed Palatana Power Plant in Tripura in 96 consignments through Bangladesh.
Asked about the likelhood of a bilateral agreement on water sharing of Teesta River and exchange of letters on transit facilities, the Foreign Minister said both will be done in the future.
"(But) I cannot give specific time and date as I'm not an astrologer," she said. PTI
